Source: AFP
United Airlines said Monday it discovered loose bolts on Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes in its fleet during preliminary inspections following an Alaska Airlines in-flight incident.
United “found instances that appear to be related to installation problems in the door plug — for example, bolts that needed additional tightening,” the carrier said.
On Friday, an Alaska Airlines passenger plane made an emergency landing after a plug component blew out.
“We are working to return our Boeing 737 MAX 9s to service in the coming days,” United said in a statement.
United has canceled 200 MAX 9 flights following the incident and expects “significant cancellations” on Tuesday, the carrier said.
A door plug is a cover used to fill an unnecessary emergency exit on airplanes with smaller seating configurations.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/d4ce36baf379d5f2.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/d4ce36baf379d5f2.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
iPhone survived a 16,000-foot drop from an Alaska Airlines flight
After the Alaska Airlines incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered carriers to ground 171 jets with the same configuration.
US investigators are still investigating Friday’s incident, but analysts have speculated that the error may have been due to a manufacturing or quality control defect.
With 79 MAX 9 planes, United has the largest fleet of such aircraft.
On Monday, the FAA announced it approved a roadmap for carriers to complete inspections that include left and right door stoppers, fittings and fasteners.
However, United said it is still awaiting final approval for the full inspection process.
In December, Boeing urged airlines to conduct additional inspections to check for loose hardware in the plane’s rudder control system after an international carrier discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance.
Source: AFP