In light of the recent news regarding the mid-flight shattering of a Boeing 737 Max 9's jet panel, government officials are investigating whether there was a failure on Boeing's part to make sure that the panel was safe and was developed to meet regulatory approved designs.
Exploring The Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration or FAA, stated in a statement to the Associate Press as well as other outlets that the investigation is zooming in on the plugs that were utilized for extra exits despite the doors not being required for Boing 737 Max 9 models. The plugs that were blown off were found in Portland, Oregon were taken to a government lab for examination. In the article from the Associated Press, they quoted the FAA's statement as follows "This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again. Boeing's manufacturing practices need to comply with the high safety standards they're legally accountable to meet." The FAA has informed Boeing of the investigation in a letter Wednesday and has requested a response from them within the following 10 business days. They have also suspended Max 9 Jets, including the 65 that are operated by Alaska Airlines and the 79 that are used by United Airlines. Alaska Airlines has also canceled all Max 9 operated flights through Saturday.
The article continues by stating that investigators who work with the National Transportation Safety Board have also joined the fray. The board has reported this week that they have not been able to find four bolts that are used to hold the door plug and that they are uncertain about whether the bolts were there before take-off.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported at the time of the incident or at this time of writing and the flight itself made a safe landing despite the missing door fiasco.
