Boeing’s latest 737 MAX crisis worsened after United Airlines and Alaska Airlines discovered loose parts on multiple grounded MAX 9 aircraft, raising fresh concerns among industry experts about how the company’s best-selling jet family is manufactured.
U.S. regulators grounded 171 MAX 9 planes after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff from a Portland, Oregon, airport on Friday, forcing pilots to scramble for a safe landing.
Alaska Airlines said late Monday that initial reports from its technicians indicated that some “loose hardware” was visible on some aircraft in the relevant area while conducting fleet checks.
The revelations raised new concerns about the production process for the grounded Boeing MAX jets
It was awaiting final documentation from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before beginning formal inspections.
United, the other U.S. carrier that flies this Boeing model with the panels, said preliminary inspections revealed bolts that needed to be tightened on several panels.
The revelations raised new concerns about the production process for the grounded MAX 9 jets.
According to a source familiar with the matter, United has discovered nearly ten airplanes with loose bolts during preliminary checks, up from five initially reported by industry publication The Air Current, and the figure may rise further.
Boeing, the FAA, and the airlines are still discussing precise inspection guidelines.
Boeing is expected to revise the guidelines it submitted to airlines earlier on Monday, and the FAA will need to approve those changes before the airlines can begin repairs, according to sources.
Boeing stated that it was in close contact with MAX 9 operators and would assist customers with any findings discovered during inspections.
“We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards,” the planemaker said. “We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers.”
Several industry insiders reported that airlines have begun to hear passengers express concerns about the aircraft’s safety, despite the fact that the MAX 9 in question is only used by a few carriers.
Any prolonged concerns may increase pressure on Boeing, which has faced numerous production issues since the 737 MAX family was grounded in March 2019, 20 months following two deadly crashes that killed 346 people.
“This changes significantly because it is now a fleet issue. “This is a quality control issue,” said US aircraft safety expert John Cox.
Investigators stated on Sunday that it was too early to determine the cause.
Boeing shares fell 8% on Monday.
Missing door plug that blew off from Alaska Airlines plane found in Portland teacher’s backyard
According to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, a Portland schoolteacher discovered the panel in his backyard on Sunday and recovered it.
Homendy stated that the cockpit voice recorder did not capture any data because it had been overwritten. She urged regulators to mandate retrofitting existing planes with recorders that capture 25 hours of data, up from the current requirement of two hours in the United States.
Alaska Airlines canceled 141 flights, or 20% of its scheduled departures, on Monday after grounding its 65 MAX 9 aircraft. The carrier predicted that travel disruptions would last until at least mid-week. United, which has grounded its 79 MAX 9s, canceled 226 flights on Monday, accounting for 8% of its scheduled departures.
Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, reported that 144 of the 171 planes covered by the order are currently operating in the United States.