United Airlines finds loose bolts on some Boeing 737 Max planes

United Airlines finds loose bolts on some Boeing 737 Max planes
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators examine the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 Max, which was jettisoned and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing, at a property where it was recovered in Portland, Oregon, US, Jan 8, 2024.
PHOTO: NTSB/Handout via Reuters

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO — Boeing's latest 737 Max crisis deepened on Monday (Jan 8) after United Airlines said it had found loose bolts on multiple grounded Max 9 aircraft, raising new concerns among industry experts about how its best-selling 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.

United, one of the two US carriers that fly this Boeing model with the panels, said its own preliminary checks found bolts that needed tightening on several panels. That disclosure heightened concerns about the production process of the Max 9 jets that have been grounded.

A source familiar with the matter said United has so far found closer to 10 airplanes with loose bolts during its preliminary checks, up from an initial five first reported by industry publication The Air Current, and the figure may increase.

There are still ongoing discussions between Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the airlines on the precise inspection guidelines.

Boeing is expected to revise the guidelines it submitted to airlines earlier on Monday, and the FAA would have to sign off on those changes before the airlines could begin repairs, sources said.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 Max, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, in Portland, Oregon, US, Jan 7, 2024.
PHOTO: NTSB/Handout via Reuters

Alaska Airlines said it was waiting for final revised guidelines from Boeing before it could start inspecting planes and said it was ready to begin as soon as it received required FAA approvals.

Boeing said it was staying in close contact with Max 9 operators and would help customers address any findings during inspections.

"We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards," the planemaker said. "We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers."

Several industry insiders said airlines have started to hear passengers voice concerns about the safety of the aircraft, even though the Max 9 in question is only used by a handful of carriers.

Any prolonged concerns may increase pressure on Boeing, which has suffered from numerous production issues since the wider grounding of the 737 Max family in March 2019 that lasted 20 months after two deadly crashes killed 346 people.

"This changes a lot because it is now a fleet problem. This is a quality control problem," said US aircraft safety expert John Cox.

Investigators said on Sunday it was too early to determine the cause.

Boeing shares sank eight per cent on Monday.

Flight cancellations

Boeing's largest single-aisle model in production has a panel known as a door plug to replace an exit that would be installed on planes configured to carry more passengers. Most operators use the lower-density version with the door plug.

The fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 Max, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, is seen during its investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Portland, Oregon, US, Jan 7, 2024.
PHOTO: NTSB/Handout via Reuters

People familiar with the process have said the panel is fitted in two stages, first by supplier Spirit AeroSystems and later completed by Boeing. Investigators said they would examine both manufacturing and maintenance records.

Spirit shares fell 11 per cent on Monday.

The FAA declined to comment on the loose bolt reports.

"Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug — for example, bolts that needed additional tightening," United said in a statement.

Once the final process is approved by the FAA, inspections are expected to take several days, forcing the cancellation of numerous flights. One senior industry source said the timing was increasingly unpredictable and that the FAA, under a recently appointed leader, would be cautious.

The FAA said planes would remain grounded "until operators complete enhanced inspections which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components, and fasteners".

Read Also
world
Alaska Airlines cancels more than 200 flights after FAA order

Alaska Airlines pilots on Friday turned the plane around and landed it safety, and no major injuries were reported even as oxygen masks deployed and personal items were sucked out of the plane.

"It was really important to figure out whether it was that specific aircraft from Friday night," said Anthony Brickhouse, an air safety expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

"The fact that United has now found some aircraft with loose bolts, that just means that the investigation is going to be expanded."

A diagram of the 737 Max 9 door plug posted by the US National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday shows four bolts — two in the upper corners of the plug and two lower hinge brackets — that secure the plug to the fuselage.

The plug is further fastened in place by "stop fittings" at 12 different locations along the side of the plug and the door frame. Those components hold the door plug in place and prevent it from being pushed out of the airframe.

PHOTO: Reuters

Panel found in backyard

The panel was recovered on Sunday by a Portland school teacher in the Cedar Hills neighborhood who found it in his backyard, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.

Homendy said the cockpit voice recorder did not capture any data because it had been overwritten. She again called on regulators to mandate retrofitting existing planes with recorders that capture 25 hours of data, up from the two hours required in the US at present.

Alaska Airlines cancelled 141 flights, or 20 per cent of its scheduled departures, on Monday after grounding its 65 Max 9s. The carrier said travel disruptions were expected to last through at least mid-week. United, which has grounded its 79 MAX 9s, cancelled 226 flights on Monday, or eight per cent of its scheduled departures.

Of the 171 planes covered by the order, 144 are operating in the US, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.

Turkish Airlines, Panama's Copa Airlines and Aeromexico said they had grounded affected jets. Indonesia said it had suspended the use of three jets not covered by the order.

ALSO READ: US investigators recover key part from Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    China mum jailed for selling 2 sons for over $14k to tip livestreamers, buy clothes
    'Very unfair to me': Locksmith files police report over harassment after viral claim he yelled at elderly person
    Fatal crash at Geylang pasar malam: Driver, passenger arrested
    18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat
    Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Indonesia's Tanimbar Islands region, geophysics agency says
    This private chef served 9-course Malay fine dining from his HDB flat - and it blew me away
    London Southend Airport closed, all flights cancelled after small plane crash
    Israeli missile hits Gaza children collecting water, IDF blames malfunction
    Man lodges police report after $400 of printed SG60 vouchers used by stranger
    Joss paper burning allegedly sparks corridor fire in Chai Chee; 7 received medical aid
    'How long can I continue to sing for?' JJ Lin diagnosed with heart condition in 2024
    Heavy rain triggers flooding and landslides in parts of New Zealand

Singapore

Singapore
    • 'Can we have a date?' DPM Gan Kim Yong invites Punggol North residents to dinner
    • 4 women arrested in Yishun for allegedly offering sexual services disguised as massages
    • Heartbroken dad dies hours after teen son is killed in motorcycle accident
    • Geylang petrol station employee, 77, dies after being hit by reversing car
    • Cyclist run over twice by car in Hougang, miraculously walks away
    • Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN
    • Missing registration plates, non-working brakes: LTA impounds 151 active mobility devices in last 2 months
    • Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term
    • OCBC Group CEO Helen Wong to retire end-2025, Tan Teck Long appointed successor
    • 'He was jealous': Woman allegedly slashed with knife for chatting with 2 men below Jurong West block

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'I was so excited I wanted to cry': Fans spend up to $50k in auction to experience a day with Jackson Wang
    • Who doesn't forget easily and who doesn't gossip? Hong Huifang, Cynthia Koh and Pierre Png, cast of new Singapore-Thai thriller, talk people politics
    • Ex-NCT member Taeil sentenced to 3.5 years of jail for sexual assault
    • Sheila Sim takes haircutting course after giving daughter bad trim
    • Gina Rodriguez is pregnant
    • 'Wow, who is this girl?' Pierre Png and Cynthia Koh recall first time they met at water park as teens
    • Michael Jackson's daughter Paris 'concerned' about payments made by his estate
    • Vanessa Hudgens pregnant with second child
    • Jennifer Aniston reportedly dating hypnotist
    • Bella Thorne accuses Charlie Puth of lying 'to the entire world' after she refused to sleep with him

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Kaya toast, extra cute please: Breakfast-themed plushies with a local twist at Marina Square pop-up
    • Singapore coffee brand Alchemist debuts 2 outlets in Japan, marking first overseas venture
    • Now you can get Springleaf prata in a cup - with curry - from a vending machine
    • Orh Gao Taproom, popular bar by night and kopitiam by day in Serene Centre, to shutter
    • I thought childbirth was painful. Then I caught my baby's hand, foot and mouth disease
    • How a mother's warmth shapes a child's mental health, according to science
    • A first-time condo buyer's guide to evaluating property developers in Singapore
    • Things to do in Nagoya: A food lover's guide to Japan's underrated metropolis
    • Where $4m semi-Ds sit next to $40m GCBs: Touring First Avenue in Bukit Timah
    • Little red dot, big bold ideas: 60 Singapore innovations shaping our future

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool

Money

Money
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (June 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Best bank offers in Singapore (July 2025): 50% cashback on public transit with Amex, win Business Class flights with HSBC and more
    • 9 best personal loans in Singapore with lowest interest rates (July 2025)
    • Best fixed deposit rates in Singapore (July 2025): Minimum deposits from $500, rates up to 2.45%
    • Temasek sees $45b rise in net portfolio value to record high of $434b amid global uncertainties
    • 'It's our grandfather's company, we won't sell', says Wong family as shareholders reject GE delisting bid
    • Japan, South Korea hit with 25% tariffs as Trump ramps up trade war in letters to leaders
    • Trump says alignment with BRICS' 'anti-American policies' to invite additional 10% tariffs
    • Regulators warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records
    • Higher seller's stamp duty a 'light touch' to curb property flipping: Experts

Latest

Latest
  • Spaniards struggle to enjoy their own beaches in tourist deluge
  • Italy's abortion taboos challenged by new law in Sicily
  • North Korea's Kim, hosting Lavrov, says he will support Russia to resolve Ukraine
  • Violent clashes erupt between far-right groups and migrants in Spanish town
  • China says Dalai Lama succession issue a 'thorn' in relations with India
  • New Zealand aims to double foreign international education market by 2034
  • King Charles to host Trump in September for state visit to Britain, palace says
  • Cameroon's Biya, 92, announces bid for 8th presidential term
  • Anger turns towards Washington in West Bank town mourning 2 men killed by settlers

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Malaysian man strikes $4m lottery after betting on his, girlfriend's IC numbers for 3 years
  • Singaporean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times
  • JB mum forgets baby in car during shopping trip; cops, locksmith rescue infant
  • Lurid tale of China's cross-dressing 'red uncle' goes viral online
  • Climbers battle torrential waters after flash floods hit Mount Kinabalu; all 155 persons safe, says park
  • Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded 1 bullet and accidentally discharged revolver
  • Woman injured on SMRT bus after bottle thrown at vehicle shatters window
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.