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Boeing 737 Max 9 Grounded After Fuselage Incident

Loose bolts on door plugs found in other 737 Max 9's, prompting FAA to require immediate safety inspections.

PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 7: In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, an opening is seen in the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX on January 7, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A door-sized section near the rear of the Boeing 737-9 MAX plane blew off 10 minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5 on its way to Ontario, California. (Photo by NTSB via Getty Images)
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The FAA is investigating an incident in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a door plug in flight. [Courtesy: NTSB]

Overview

  • A piece of fuselage known as a door plug fell from the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane operating Alaska Airlines flight 1282 as it climbed out of Portland International Airport.
  • Two of the largest Max 9 operators — Alaska and United Airlines — have since said they found loose bolts on door plugs of other 737 Max 9's in their fleet.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded approximately 171 of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft operating worldwide, requiring immediate and enhanced safety inspections.
  • Boeing's CEO, Dave Calhoun, held an all-hands safety meeting with staff, acknowledging the company's mistake and promising full cooperation with the FAA and the NTSB investigations.
  • United and Alaska Airlines, both operators of the 737 Max 9, have had to cancel hundreds of flights due to the grounding.