Boeing has issued instructions to airlines describing required inspections to 737 Max 9 door plugs – a move following the 5 January failure of a plug on an Alaska Airlines jet.
Additionally, the US Federal Aviation Administration says it has approved a method for inspecting the door plugs, the agency said on 8 January.
“Our teams have been working diligently – with thorough FAA review – to provide comprehensive, technical instructions to operators for the required inspections,” Boeing says in an 8 January note to customers. “This morning, our team issued the instructions via a multi-operator message.”
That note came from Stan Deal, chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and Mike Delaney, chief aerospace safety officer.
Boeing, the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and airlines have been scrambling since an Alaska 737 Max 9 lost its mid-cabin emergency exit door plug during a flight from Portland to Ontario, Canada on 5 January.
The failure left a hole in the side of the jet. The pilots diverted to Portland and landed without serious injuries to passengers or crew.
The FAA reacted quickly, issuing on 6 January an emergency airworthiness directive grounding 737 Max 9s with the door plugs, pending inspections. That order affects 171 jet globally, the FAA said.
In an 8 January update, the FAA says affected Max 9s “will remain grounded until operators complete enhanced inspections, which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components and fasteners. Operators must also complete corrective action requirements based on findings from the inspections prior to bringing any aircraft back into service.”
Boeing’s multi-operator message provides details about the inspections. The company says its own air safety investigation team is in Portland assisting with the National Transportation Safety Board’s inquiry.
Numerous airlines operate 737 Max 9s with plugged, unusable mid-cabin emergency exits. They can do so under regulations if the jets carry no more than 189 passengers. Alaska outfits its Max 9s with 178 seats.
The aircraft type can carry up to 220 passengers.
