United, Alaska find loose parts on 737 MAX jets, raising pressure on Boeing
- Disclosures heightened concerns about the production process of Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets that have been grounded
- On Friday, an Alaska Airlines passenger plane made an emergency landing after a door plug component blew out
Boeing’s latest 737 MAX crisis deepened after United Airlines and Alaska Airlines said they had found loose parts on multiple grounded MAX 9 aircraft, raising new concerns among industry experts about how its bestselling jet family is manufactured.
US regulators grounded 171 MAX 9 planes after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated flight not long after taking off from a Portland, Oregon, airport on Friday, forcing pilots to scramble to land the plane safely.
Alaska Airlines said late on Monday that initial reports from its technicians indicated some “loose hardware” was visible on some aircraft in the relevant area when it conducted checks of its fleet.
It was waiting for final documentation from Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before formal inspections could begin.
United, the other US carrier that flies this Boeing model with the panels, said its preliminary checks found bolts that needed tightening on several panels.
