US FAA launches probe of Boeing 737 MAX 9 after mid-air panel incident
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is launching a formal investigation into the Boeing (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX 9 after a cabin panel blew off an Alaska Airlines flight last week in mid-air, forcing an emergency landing, the regulator said on Thursday.
The FAA on Saturday grounded 171 Boeing MAX jets with the same panel pending safety inspections. Most are operated by U.S. carriers Alaska Airlines and United Airlines.
The incident was the latest in a series of events that have shaken confidence in the aircraft manufacturer.
Talks between Boeing, the FAA and airlines on revised inspection and maintenance instructions from Boeing that the regulator must approve before airlines can resume flying the planes ended for the day on Thursday without agreement, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
The FAA said the Alaska Airlines incident «should have never happened and it cannot happen again.»
The agency told Boeing in a letter dated Wednesday that the investigation was to determine if the planemaker had failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation under FAA rules. The agency cited «additional discrepancies» in other 737 MAX 9 planes.
«We will cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA and the NTSB on their investigations,» Boeing said in a statement.
Boeing shares closed down 2.3% on Thursday and have fallen more than 10% since the incident.
BOEING 'MISTAKE'
Alaska Airlines and United said on Monday they had found loose parts on multiple grounded aircraft during preliminary checks, raising new concerns about how Boeing's best-selling jet family is manufactured.
The two carriers have canceled hundreds
Read more on investing.com
