The process has begun.
The Federal Aviation
Administration has completed
the first group of inspections of the Boeing 737 Max 9
plane, which was involved in the Alaska Airlines incident in which a side panel
blew off in midflight on January 5.
The FAA grounded the
entire fleet of more than 170 planes until the door bolts, which are said to be
at the center of the investigation, could be inspected.
Alaska Airlines and
United Airlines are the only domestic carriers utilizing that model. With the
grounding, they have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights.
The FAA said it has
inspected 40 planes and will review data before proceeding. In addition to the
FAA inspectors, Alaska Airlines said it will send its own inspectors to the
Boeing plants where the Max 9 was manufactured.
The fuselage of the plain
is made by Spirit AeroSystems, which is its own company and not affiliated with
Spirit Airlines.
The FAA is investigating
both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. The National Transportation Safety Board is
conducting its own investigation. The two government agencies are seeking an
answer to why the door bolts were loose on the unused exit.
Boeing has also hired an
outside auditor to review its quality control programs. The FAA said it will be
deliberate in its investigation and has no timetable for the plane's return.
Alaska Airlines said it
is still
pondering its next move.
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