United Airlines has found loose bolts on the “door plug” on some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. This comes shortly after the FAA ordered a temporary grounding of the aircraft. This was in response to an incident that occurred on January 5, 2024 when an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 lost a portion of a plugged exit door resulting in depressurization. The aircraft was able to safely return back to Portland with no reported fatalities.
Loose Bolts Found On United Boeing 737 Max 9 Jets
During the subsequent groundings, United Airlines found loose bolts in the door plugs on some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, initially reported by The Air Current. In a statement, United Airlines said, “Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug for example, bolts that needed additional tightening. These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.” It is unknown at this point if the loose bolts were a contributing factor in the Alaska airline incident. Currently, United Airlines is keeping their Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft grounded and replacing affected routes with other aircraft where possible.