The incident of the emergency hatch of a Boeing 737MAX9 aircraft in the United States falling during flight continues to ferment. United Airlines stated that preliminary inspections have found multiple Boeing 737MAX9 aircraft with loose screws. On January 9th, a reporter from Southern Metropolis Daily learned from Boeing that the company is maintaining close contact with operators conducting safety checks on similar aircraft models to help them solve the problems they have discovered.
According to previous reports from Southern Metropolis Daily, on January 5th local time, an emergency hatch fell off an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, and the plane made an emergency landing shortly after. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737MAX9 passenger aircraft. The next day, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States ordered a temporary grounding of Boeing 737MAX9 aircraft operated by American airlines or within the United States for safety inspections. United Airlines also conducted inspections on multiple aircraft of the same type.
According to foreign media reports, on January 8th local time, United Airlines of the United States stated that preliminary inspections have found some issues related to the installation of door plugs on Boeing 737MAX9 aircraft, such as the need for further reinforcement of bolts, but did not disclose how many aircraft have loose bolts. The airline stated that the technical operations team will remedy these issues to ensure safe go-around of the aircraft.
On the 8th local time, Boeing announced that it maintains close contact with the operator during necessary inspections and will assist in resolving the issues identified. Boeing also apologized for the impact of the plane accident that occurred on the 5th local time in the United States on the aircraft operators and their passengers.