United Airlines has announced that it found loose bolts during inspections of its 737 Max 9 fleet following the Alaska Airlines incident in which a door plug was blown out of a plane over the weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all 737 Max 9s in response to the incident. United has said that emergency inspections have resulted in the cancellation of 200 Max 9 flights on Monday, with more expected on Tuesday. The fleet will remain grounded until safety concerns are addressed.
Boeing issued a statement regarding the inspections, indicating that the company is in close contact with operators and committed to ensuring that all aircraft meet safety and quality standards. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board has conducted investigations and has recovered the door plug that fell off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The plug, a crucial piece of evidence measuring 26-by-46 inches and weighing 63 pounds, was found intact in the backyard of a Portland teacher’s home following the incident.
The midair incident with the Alaska Airlines plane caused an “explosive decompression” and sucked out headrests, tray tables, cell phones, and quick reference handbooks. While no injuries occurred, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy explained that the door plug detachment caused damage to the aircraft and prompted the flight crew to immediately return to Portland with a gaping hole in the plane’s side. Investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the incident, including examining the door plug and its frame, as well as conducting interviews with the flight crew and passengers.