FAA says all airlines operating Boeing 737-900ER jets should inspect door plugs to ensure they are properly secured
The US Federal Aviation Administration late Sunday recommended airlines operating Boeing 737-900ER jets inspect door plugs to ensure they are properly secured after some operators reported unspecified issues with bolts upon inspections.
The recommendation follows the FAA’s grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after the 5 January mid-air cabin blowout of a door plug on an eight-week-old Alaska Airlines Max 9 jet .
Boeing’s shares were down 2.5% in premarket trading on Monday. They have fallen 17.5% since the beginning of the year.
The 737-900ER is not part of the newer Max fleet but has the same optional door plug design that allows for the addition of an extra emergency exit door when carriers opt to install more seats.
The FAA issued a “safety alert for operators” disclosing some airlines have conducted additional inspections on the 737-900ER mid-exit door plugs “and have noted findings with bolts during the maintenance inspections”.
It recommended air carriers perform key portions of a fuselage plug assembly maintenance procedure related to the four bolts used to secure the door plug to the airframe “as soon as possible”.
