Boeing planes grounded as search for missing control panel takes place

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided to ground some Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets over ongoing safety concerns after an incident in which a control panel blew up the plane immediately after takeoff. The FAA’s flight ban affects 171 jets equipped with the same type of panels and will remain in effect until the agency is confident in the aircraft’s safety.

The problem arose on Friday when a so-called door jam on the left side of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 aircraft, just eight weeks old, was missing on a flight from Portland to Ontario, California. This forced the pilot to return to Portland, where he landed safely. The flight was carrying 171 passengers and six crew members and suffered only minor injuries.

Authorities are currently searching in Portland’s western suburbs for a missing control panel that was used to replace extra emergency exits on some aircraft configurations. The public’s assistance has been requested in locating the missing parts.

The grounding has had a direct impact on airline operations. Alaska Airlines had to ground 18 MAX 9 aircraft and canceled 163 flights on Sunday, accounting for 21% of its flight schedule. The airline expects disruptions to last until at least midweek. United Airlines also canceled 230 flights on Sunday, accounting for 8% of scheduled departures.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jennifer Homendy acknowledged the psychological impact such incidents have on passengers and crew and said it was too early to determine the cause. The NTSB has launched an investigation into the incident.

Boeing has faced safety concerns recently as it awaits certification of the smaller MAX 7 and larger MAX 10 models, which are crucial to competing with popular Airbus jets. The landing also raised concerns about the survivability of the aircraft’s cabin, shortly after an Airbus A350 crash at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport killed the crew but spared airline passengers.

The affected aircraft are mainly operated by United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, while international airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Copa Air and Aeromexico have also been grounded for inspection.

Airlines must inspect the panels and make necessary repairs. The FAA must approve detailed inspection standards proposed by Boeing before the planes can be returned to service. It was unclear whether approval would be immediate.

The panels are typically installed by low-cost airlines that use more seats and therefore require additional evacuation routes. On jets with fewer seats, these doors are plugged in and look like regular window seats to passengers.

Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems, a manufacturer of Boeing 737 fuselages, was responsible for manufacturing and installing the defective plugs. Although Spirit deferred comment to Boeing, sources said Boeing may also play a key role in the installation process.

The industry is still recovering from production issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Boeing as recently as December 28 directed airlines to inspect 737 MAX jets to determine whether hidden bolts in the rudder control system are loose. The move follows a 20-month global grounding of MAX aircraft due to crashes caused by a cockpit software problem that claimed the lives of nearly 350 people about five years ago.

Boeing’s main rival Airbus is expected to confirm its status as the world’s largest plane maker on Jan. 11, having delivered 735 planes last year.

Reuters contributed to this article.

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