FAA probing whether Boeing failed to ensure planes were safe to operate
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday that it launched an investigation into Boeing to determine if the company failed to ensure that its products were safe for operation.
"FAA formally notified Boeing that it is conducting an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations," the agency said in a statement.
The investigation stems from an incident last Friday when a Boeing Model 737 Max 9 lost a door plug midflight and had to make an emergency landing, according to the FAA.
The event is also being investigated by aviation safety personnel from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
ALASKA AIRLINES, UNITED CANCEL OVER 300 FLIGHTS AFTER BOEING 737 MAX 9 GROUNDING
No serious injuries were reported. However, officials say two cellphones, at least one of which was still intact and in airplane mode, were found on the ground, and the door plug, considered a key component, was recovered from a Portland school teacher's backyard.
The FAA said the incident "should never have happened" and plans to hold Boeing accountable if the company's manufacturing practices don't comply "with the high safety standards" that they’re legally obligated to meet.
The FAA grounded every Boeing 737 Max 9 with a plug door following the incident and said they will remain grounded until the agency "finds each can safely return to operation."
ALASKA AIRLINES, UNITED CANCEL OVER 300 FLIGHTS AFTER BOEING 737 MAX 9 GROUNDING
The FAA said on Tuesday it is waiting for Boeing to provide updated instructions to operators for inspections and maintenance. Once it has obtained that, the FAA said it will "conduct a thorough review."
Alaska said Wednesday it was still waiting for the documentation from Boeing and the FAA to begin inspection of its 737 Max 9 fleet, which is one aircraft variant in Boeing's 737 Max series.
Alaska Airlines, which operates 65 Max 9 planes, has canceled all the flights using them through Saturday while it conducts inspections and prepares "fully for return to service." That's about 110 to 150 flights per day.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
The carrier said it "will only return these aircraft to service when all findings have been fully resolved and meet all FAA and Alaska’s stringent standards."
United Airlines, which has 79 Boeing 737 Max 9 jets in its fleet, previously told FOX Business that it has been working with the FAA "to clarify the inspection process and requirements for returning" all the planes back to service.
Like Alaska, the carrier has been forced to cancel flights but said it's using other aircraft types to curtail some cancellations when possible.
Southwest, American, Delta, JetBlue and Spirit do not have 737 Max 9 planes in their fleets.
Southwest told FOX Business that its Max 8 and Max 7 planes do not have the exit door plug involved in the incident, and that its operation is unaffected.