Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have found loose parts on multiple Boeing 737 Max 9 fleets. The discovery was made during an investigation after a Boeing plane was grounded after the panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-journey.
It is to be noted that the US regulators are carrying out inspections of 171 Max planes operated by the aforementioned US airlines. As per Alaska Airlines, the maintenance technicians found some “loose hardware” on some aircraft in the fleet.
Aerotime Hub quotes the airlines, saying, “All aircraft will be thoroughly inspected in accordance with detailed instructions provided by the FAA in consultation with Boeing. Any findings will be fully addressed in a matter that satisfies our safety standards and FAA compliance.”
They further added that all of the 737-9 MAX aircraft will be used for the services once the formal inspections are complete. Meanwhile, Air Current, a website covering the aviation industry, reported that during an assessment of its fleet of Boeing aircraft, United Airlines discovered loose bolts on the B737-9 MAX plug doors, along with other parts.
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug. For example, bolts that needed additional tightening. These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service,” United said in a statement reported by several media outlets.
Addressing the concerns Boeing said that they were in close contact with the operators and would help the customers in finding any problems associated with the aircraft. The Guardian quotes Boeing saying, “We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards.”
“We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers,” they added.