Federal regulators on Tuesday asked Boeing Co. to revise its instructions on how airlines inspect its 737 Max 9 jet, delaying efforts to get the plane back in the air after part of one of the planes exploded during a flight late last week.
The FAA said the company would reconsider the instructions it issued Monday based on the agency’s comments, but did not provide further details.
“Upon receiving the revised version of the instructions from Boeing, the FAA will conduct a comprehensive review,” the agency said in a statement. “Public safety, not speed, will determine the timeline for the Boeing 737-9 MAX’s return to service.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday that it would request inspections of planes after a panel exploded on one of the planes during an Alaska Airlines flight the day before. Although no serious injuries were reported, the accident exposed passengers to strong winds and raised new concerns about Boeing’s safety practices. The accident also forced airlines operating Max 9 aircraft to cancel dozens of flights.
The explosion is the latest in a series of setbacks for Boeing, which has struggled to regain public trust after two Boeing 737 Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
It was not immediately clear how Boeing’s initial plan failed. The company said Monday morning that it had shared instructions with airlines on how to inspect the damaged panel, which is a plug where the exit door would be installed. Hours later, the FAA said it had “agreed on a method to comply” with the agency’s order issued Saturday, appearing to confirm Boeing’s statement. Inspections focus on door seals, door components and fasteners.
Alaska Airlines and United, the two largest operators of the Max 9, said Monday they found loose parts during initial inspections of the panel, also referred to as the door seal.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board found the door seal, but said Monday they were still searching for some related parts.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is expected to address employees at a meeting Tuesday afternoon in the Seattle area where the company makes many of its planes, including the MAX. Mr Calhoun took charge of the company in January 2020 after his predecessor was forced to resign during the previous Max crisis.
During Friday’s flight, which was carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, the cabin crew had difficulty communicating after the panel exploded. Pilots and flight attendants said they were surprised when the door separating the cockpit from the passenger cabin opened, Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said during a news conference Monday evening. This exposed the pilots to strong winds and cabin noise, making it difficult for them to hear each other and communicate with air traffic control.
Ms Homendy said the cockpit door was designed to open during a rapid decompression event, but the crew was not aware of this feature on the plane. She said Boeing plans to make changes to its manual to inform crews.
The accident could have been more catastrophic if the plane had been at a higher altitude – the Alaska plane was at 16,000 feet when the panel exploded. If the plane had been flying at more than 30,000 feet, passengers would have moved around the cabin and would have less time to safely put on oxygen masks and buckle up.