The Federal Aviation Administration said it required inspections of certain aircraft after a fuselage panel on a MAX 9 flew off during a flight.
Federal officials have announced the temporary grounding of some Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after a harrowing incident where an Alaska Airlines airliner was left with a massive hole in its side during a flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Saturday that it required immediate inspections of certain MAX 9 planes operated by U.S. airlines or flown in the United States by foreign carriers. The FAA said the order will affect about 171 planes worldwide.
It came after a fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 just a few minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, on Friday. Incredibly, none of the passengers or crew members onboard the flight were seriously injured and pilots made a safe emergency landing.
The FAA’s move is the latest blow to Boeing concerning the company’s 737 MAX jets, which were grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. Last month, Boeing asked airlines to inspect its 737 Max jets for a potential loose bolt in the rudder control system.
