Inspection of Boeing 737-900ER initiated following 737 Max 9 incident

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it will be conducting checks on a second Boeing aircraft model following an incident where an unused door on one of its planes blew out earlier this month. The FAA has already grounded over 170 of the 737 Max 9 fleet after a cabin panel detached from one of the planes mid-flight. In addition to the 737 Max 9 models, the agency has now instructed airlines to inspect older 737-900ER models as well, as they use the same door design. The FAA has described this move as an "added layer of safety" and clarified that there have been no reported issues with the 737-900ER. However, the agency wants to be cautious as these planes also use the same style of panel to cover the unused door, which was involved in the incident that occurred on January 5th. The incident prompted the FAA to ground all 737 Max 9s with the same style of panel, and as a result, Boeing's share price has declined. The agency is currently investigating Boeing's manufacturing practices and production lines, particularly those connected to subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, which supplied the panel. While the FAA has carried out inspections on 40 of the grounded planes, it has not provided a timeline for when they will be able to fly again. The agency emphasized that the safety of the passengers is its top priority and will determine when the aircraft can resume service. In response to the incident, Boeing has announced plans to enhance the quality of inspections in its manufacturing process. It is worth noting that the 737-900ER models have flown for approximately 11 million hours without experiencing a similar incident to the newer 737 Max 9s. While the FAA did not order the older model to be grounded, operators are conducting visual inspections as a precautionary measure.