US launches investigation after Boeing explosion

U.S. aviation regulators have formally launched an investigation into Boeing’s processes after a door plug on a Boeing jet was blown off.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will investigate whether Boeing’s completed jet is consistent with an approved design.

The FAA has already grounded the majority of the 737 Max 9 fleet.

Post-emergency inspections at Alaska Airlines revealed problems, including loose bolts.

“This incident should never have happened and will never happen again,” the FAA said. “Boeing’s manufacturing operations must comply with the high safety standards that we are legally obligated to adhere to.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier said the administration was in no hurry to remove grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 planes that have led to hundreds of flight cancellations.

He said the aircraft “needs to be 100% safe.” It is unclear when plane flights will resume.

Boeing boss Dave Calhoun described the problems revealed in the crash of the plane from Portland, Oregon to California as a “quality escape.”

The accident was caused by some quality control defect on the plane, which had been in service for only eight weeks before the explosion.

Calhoun told CNBC there are still questions to be answered about how the incident happened. “What failed under our rigorous scrutiny? What failed in the original work that allowed it to escape?” he said.

Earlier this week, Mr. Calhoun acknowledged that Boeing was at fault after a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines had part of its fuselage blown off within minutes of takeoff.

A panel or door plug broke off an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing, but no one was injured.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Saturday grounded 171 Boeing jets that were equipped with the same door plugs.

A door plug is a part of the fuselage with a window that fills the space where an emergency exit would be located in certain configurations.

Buttigieg declined to say when his suspension would end. “The only consideration in the schedule is safety,” he said. “It’s not ready until it’s ready. No one can and should rush the process.”

Alaska Airlines has canceled about 20% of its flights after 65 Max 9 planes were grounded. United Airlines, another US 737 MAX 9 operator, has grounded 79 of its aircraft.

The airline said it expected “significant” cancellations on Thursday after 167 flights were canceled on Wednesday.

Alaska Airlines said it still needs revised inspection and maintenance instructions from Boeing and needs FAA approval to resume flying the planes.

“We plan to return these aircraft to service only once all findings have been fully resolved and all stringent FAA and State of Alaska standards have been met,” the airline said.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines announced Monday that loose parts were found on a number of grounded planes.

United Airlines said it discovered a bolt that required “additional tightening” during an inspection of a door plug that came loose from an Alaska Airlines jet.

The missing parts were eventually found in the teacher’s backyard with four bolts remaining.

Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating what happened on the plane, said Monday that the bolt may have been missing to begin with, but that it could have come loose during the descent. Stated.