737-9 Max shortly before return
Boeing’s ill-fated plane will soon be allowed to take off again
January 25, 2024, 8:00 a.m
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In mid-flight, a part of the fuselage breaks out of a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max. Miraculously, no one on board is injured. However, it has consequences for the aircraft manufacturer: all aircraft of this type have to remain on the ground – until now.
The Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft, which were shut down after a high-profile incident, will soon be allowed to take to the air again. The US Federal Aviation Administration approved the procedure for the inspections of the machines it ordered. According to the airlines concerned, such a test takes several hours per aircraft.
On January 5, shortly after take-off, a part of the fuselage broke out of an almost new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max with more than 170 people on board. Instead, some configurations of the more seat type have a door. However, the affected variant of the 737-9 Max instead has a cover that closes the opening. The FAA and other authorities ordered all approximately 170 similar aircraft of the type to be grounded for investigation. No one was seriously injured in the incident – however, by a lucky coincidence, the two seats directly at the opening remained empty.
The FAA now specifically instructed fasteners to be inspected and tightened if necessary. Alaska and United Airlines had also discovered loose fasteners at this point on other aircraft of the type. Airlines from the EU do not have any aircraft of the affected model.
The incident now has greater consequences for Boeing. The FAA announced that it would not authorize any further expansion of production of all models of the 737 Max for the time being. Boeing’s problems in quality control are “unacceptable,” emphasized head of the authority Mike Whitaker. Now the FAA wants to take a close look at the production of the 737 Max.