The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has advised operators of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft to visually inspect mid-exit door plugs to ensure their proper securement. This recommendation comes after the FAA grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on January 6, prompted by a mid-air cabin incident where a door plug blew out on an eight-week-old Alaska Airlines jet. It's important to note that while the 737-900ER is not part of the newer MAX fleet, it shares the same door plug design.
The Boeing 737-900ER, with over 11 million hours of operation and 3.9 million flight cycles, has not experienced issues with the door plug, according to the FAA. However, in a "Safety Alert for Operators" issued on Sunday, the FAA revealed that some airlines have conducted additional inspections on the 737-900ER mid-exit door plugs and have identified findings related to bolts during maintenance inspections.
A Boeing spokesperson expressed full support for the FAA's directive, stating, "We fully support the FAA and our customers in this action." Operators and airlines must conduct the recommended visual inspections to ensure the safety and integrity of the mid-exit door plugs on Boeing 737-900ER aircraft.
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