United Airlines has discovered loose bolts and other installation issues on multiple 737 Max 9 aircraft, referring to the Boeing model that was grounded after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight over the weekend. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing declined to comment on the incident. United said that its Tech Ops team will remedy the findings to return the aircraft to service safely.
A cabin panel on a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max blew out at 16,000ft, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. No serious injuries were reported, and a chunk of the fuselage weighing 63lb (28.5kg) was later found in an Oregon teacher's backyard. Boeing and US regulators gave the go-ahead on Monday for airlines to inspect grounded jets, which may take several days, forcing the cancellation of numerous flights.
Boeing shares sank 8% on Monday as the company reckons with the aftermath of the panel emergency. The FAA ordered the temporary grounding for checks of 171 Max 9 jets installed with the 60lb (27kg) panel that detached from a full Alaska Airlines flight. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun called a companywide webcast to discuss the incident with employees and senior leadership.
