Following the plug door blowout on a recent Alaska Airlines flight and the subsequent grounding of 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft, the FAA has launched an investigation concerning this incident, prolonging the grounding of these aircraft indefinitely.
In a statement, the FAA said that “this incident should have never happened, and it cannot happen again.” On Thursday 11 January, it also notified Boeing of its investigation to determine if the manufacturer had “failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations.”
On Friday 12 January, the FAA said that it would increase oversight of Boeing production and manufacturing, including an audit of the 737-9 MAX production line and increased monitoring of Boeing 737-9 MAX in-service events.
“It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. “The grounding of the 737-9 and the multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk. The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeing’s inspections and its quality system.”
Spirit AeroSystems and the 737 MAX
Multiple production-related issues surrounding the 737 MAX aircraft have come to the fore in recent years since the fateful accidents of 2018 and 2019, including quality control concerns surrounding Boeing’s supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
In April 2023, Spirit AeroSystems announced it had quality issues on the aft fuselage section of certain 737 models. In August 2023, it disclosed further issues surrounding elongated fastener holes on its aft fastener bulkheads on certain 737 fuselage models.
Court documents, filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit by investors in Spirit AeroSystems on 19 December 2023, alleged that Spirit suffered from “widespread and sustained quality failures” that included “missing fasteners, peeling paint, and poor skin quality” on its aircraft fuselage.
Whilst plug doors on the MAX 9 aircraft were not mentioned in these court documents, many other defects in the fuselage on MAX aircraft models were raised throughout, including defects on the aft fastener bulkheads and tail fin fittings.
After the Alaska Airlines incident, Spirit AeroSystems said in a statement that “at Spirit AeroSystems, our primary focus is the quality and product integrity of the aircraft structures we deliver.”
The FAA and NTSB investigations are still ongoing, with these 171 plug-door Boeing 737-9 MAX models grounded indefinitely. “The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service,” the FAA added.
