FAA grounds Boeing 737 Max 9 planes for mandatory inspections
Jenny Goldsberry
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The Federal Aviation Administration ordered Boeing 737 Max 9 planes to be temporarily grounded on Saturday.
The administration also issued an emergency airworthiness directive for the planes, which will require “immediate inspections” on the aircraft before they’re allowed in the air again. The directive will instruct operators on what to look out for to ensure the safety of passengers.
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“The required inspections will take around four to eight hours per aircraft,” the FAA explained in a statement. “The EAD will affect approximately 171 airplanes worldwide.”
“Safety will always be the top priority for our Department and for FAA,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Administrator Whitaker has acted to order these aircraft grounded pending the inspections necessary to ensure that they are safe to operate.”
This announcement comes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 Max 9, was forced to return to its takeoff destination when one of its windows was blown off mid-flight. The window was discovered to be blown out within an hour of its takeoff, and it delayed passengers flying to Ontario, California. Flight 1282 was cited in the FAA’s announcement.
Boeing’s affected planes are the updated version of the 737 Max, which is the most commonly flown plane in the world. The ninth version boasts a new fuel-efficient engine that runs quieter and purports lower carbon emissions. It seats 178 passengers.
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It remains to be seen what caused the damage to the window. There have been no reported injuries.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Alaska Airlines for comment.