FAA approves inspection process that could clear the way for grounded Boeing planes to fly again
Federal regulators have approved an inspection process that will allow airlines to resume flying their Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, which have been grounded since a side panel blew out of a plane during flight earlier this month.
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that his agency’s review of the terrifying incident aboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing jet gave him the confidence to clear a path for the planes to fly again.
The official, Mike Whitaker, said the FAA would not agree to a request from Boeing to expand production of Max planes until the agency is satisfied that quality control concerns have been addressed.
“This will no longer be business as usual for Boeing,” Whitaker promised.
The production limits only apply to the Max, of which there are currently two models, the 8 and the 9. Boeing builds about 30 per month, but has been wanting to increase production for some time.
Boeing did not immediately comment.
A panel called a door plug blew off an Alaska Max 9 as it flew 3 miles over Oregon on January 5. The impact left a hole in the side of the plane, but pilots were able to return to Portland and land. safe.
The FAA grounded most of the Max 9s the next day. Alaska and United Airlines — the only U.S. airlines with Max 9s — have since canceled hundreds of flights, and United said this week it will lose money in the first three months of this year because of the grounding.
The CEOs of both airlines expressed their frustration with Boeing earlier this week.
The FAA will require airlines to conduct “detailed visual inspections” of door plugs and other components, adjust fasteners and repair any damage before returning the Max 9s to service. The agency said the process was developed using data from inspections of 40 grounded aircraft.
United, which has 79 MAX 9s, more than any other airline, said it has already completed “preliminary preparations and inspections” of its planes and expects to return them to service starting Sunday.
United said the process involves removing an interior panel, two rows of seats and a sidewall trim before technicians can open the door plugs. They inspect the plug and surrounding hardware, repair anything they find wrong, and reattach the panel.
The plugs close off places used for additional emergency doors on planes with more seats than Alaska and United Max 9s.
The FAA decision came the same day a key senator indicated that Congress would join its audit of Boeing.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., met with Boeing CEO David Calhoun to discuss incidents, including this month’s incident involving the Alaska Airlines plane. Cantwell said she told Calhoun that quality engineering and safety should be the company’s top priorities.
“The American flying public and Boeing line workers deserve a culture of leadership at Boeing that puts safety before profit,” said Cantwell, who represents the state where Boeing assembles 737s.
Cantwell said the Senate Commerce, Science & The Transportation Committee, which she chairs, will hold hearings “to investigate the root causes of these safety deficiencies.” No dates have been announced.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Alaska Airlines plane crash. NTSB officials have said they are investigating whether bolts securing the door plug were missing before the plane took off.
An NTSB investigator will return to Boeing’s 737 assembly plant in Renton, Washington, on Friday as the investigation continues, a board spokesman said. Researchers are building a timeline of the door plug that failed, from the early stages of production to the flight when it blew out of the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures during production.
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Associated Press Auto writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.