On January 8, United Airlines revealed that they discovered several loose bolts crucial for securing the door plug on some of their Boeing 737 MAX 9. This news came shortly after an emergency exit door plug was blown out of the fuselage on an Alaska Airlines flight 1282, leading to a global grounding of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other aviation authorities.
In response to the FAA’s grounding, United Airlines, which operates 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft – the largest fleet of this model in the world – initiated a proactive inspection process. Understanding the potential implications, the airline began preparations for a comprehensive examination of its fleet this past Saturday, even before the FAA’s official directive.
The Inspection Procedure in Detail
United Airlines embarked on an extensive inspection procedure. This involved removing the interior panel that conceals the door plug from the inside and conducting a thorough visual inspection of the surrounding area. This process required removing two rows of seats and the sidewall liner for comprehensive access. The inspection team from United Airlines then verified the correct installation of the door and frame hardware.
Following this, the team proceeded to open the door plug to examine the associated seal and additional structure. The door plug was then carefully reinstalled, ensuring it was properly fitted and sealed. Any discrepancies found during this inspection were meticulously documented. Despite this thorough process, the FAA had yet to clear any Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to return to service at that time.
United Airlines and its inspection team awaited final approval from the FAA regarding their overall inspection process. However, in the course of their early inspections, United technicians identified several installation issues related to the emergency exit door plug, such as bolts needing additional tightening. The airline assured that these findings would be addressed by their Technical Operations team to ensure the safe return of the aircraft to service.
According to Jon Ostrower of The Air Current, installation issues, including the problematic bolts, were discovered on at least five of United Airlines’ aircraft. At the time of the report, Boeing had not responded to these findings.
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