Still, losing a door plug is pretty bad. Good luck convincing people that it isn't.
Posted on 01/23/2024 12:05:12 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
The Federal Aviation Administration is recommending that airlines visually inspect the door plugs of more Boeing planes after a similar panel blew off a jet in midair earlier this month.
The safety alert issued late Sunday recommends that airlines operating Boeing's 737-900ER jets inspect the door plugs "as soon as possible" to make sure they're properly secured after some airlines reported unspecified issues with the bolts. The 737-900ER is not part of Boeing's newer Max series, but it has the same optional door plug design as the Boeing 737 Max 9.
More than 170 of the newer jets have been grounded since Jan. 5, when a door plug blew off a 737 Max 9 plane operated by Alaska Airlines. That plane had only been flying for a few months. The Boeing 737-900ER model has over 11 million hours of operation and about 4 million flight cycles.
Boeing delivered roughly 500 of the 737-900ER planes between 2007 and 2019. None have experienced significant problems with their door plugs, according to the FAA.
The FAA's safety alert says some airlines have "noted findings with bolts during the maintenance inspections" of their 737-900ER planes, but it doesn't elaborate on what the findings were. The agency says it continues to evaluate data involving the mid-cabin door plug and may order additional actions if necessary.
Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines all said they have begun checking the door plugs on their fleets of 737-900ER planes. None of the carriers said they expect any disruption to their operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
The FAA said that [the older] 737-900ERs have logged 3.9 million flights without any known issues involving the door plugs. By contrast, the Max 9 that suffered the blowout had made only 145 flights.Besides grounding 171 Max 9 jets, the FAA is investigating quality-control measures at Boeing and its suppliers and has increased its oversight of the aircraft maker. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Oregon incident.
Alaska said Monday (January 22, 2024) that it began inspecting its 737-900ERs “several days ago” and has turned up no issues. The Seattle-based airline, which has canceled hundreds of flights because of the Max 9 grounding, said it expects no disruption from the inspections of its 737-900ERs.
United said it began inspecting the earlier Boeing model last week and expects to finish the reviews this week with no disruptions for passengers. Delta Air Lines, with 130 planes affected by the new FAA recommendation, said it was inspecting all 130 of its 737-900ERs and did not expect any impact on operations.
Aviation Ping!.................
I hate it when that happens. Oh wait that doesn’t happen in my hotrods
Loose nuts and bolts?
Or you getting your doors blown off?
My hotrods are running mighty fine. I use a custom 95 octane mix with E85 and no ethanol super my babies love it
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ... a recommendation to do safety checks on airliners before they take off ... it’s an idea so crazy it just might catch on.
I’m sorry E85:mix (70% ethanol) with no ethanol super
95:octane they absolutely love it it you should hear them pop like a machine gun lol
Kids chase me down and tell me how cool it is lol they do the worship thing out of the windows lol
More bad news for BA.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/23/united-ceo-casts-doubt-on-boeing-737-max-10-order.html
Yeah, if you don't do those safety checks, something bad could happen. Like a nose wheel could come off as you taxi onto the runway. Nah, that's far too stupid to even contemplate. Could never happen. That's preposterous.
Too many movies and too much media news coverage from reporters that know nothing about aviation.
I was unaware of the Max 10 on the drawing boards or that it is FIVE years behind schedule!
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced before a special joint session of Congress the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade. Armstrong walked on the moon July 20, 1969.
Eight years from commitment to go to the moon to walking on the moon.
And Boeing is FIVE years behind schedule on a DERIVATIVE aircraft.
No wonder the younger generations hate the Boomers. Boomers knew how to get things done.
Dont forget to check the bilge plugs too!!
Still, losing a door plug is pretty bad. Good luck convincing people that it isn't.
Try some gorilla tape.
And because of video games like Forsa they know more about my cars than most adults lol
I've flown a Falcon with the outer skin peeled back just after of the cockpit door to the third window. A goose strike. The goose went thru the engine after glancing off the cockpit. I've had a window blow out of a P-Baron. I've dead stick landed my whole family in a Cherokee Six-300. I also landed my 152 in training on a known blow-out right main tire. I made the mistake of rotating after it blew out.
Eventful may be great media fodder, but it isn't a knock on airplane airworthiness.
Wow, remind me to say “no thanks” when you ask me to go for a ride!
My favorite though was a guy flying an Aztec that forgot to untie his tail from a concrete tie down footing and old tire. He landed not knowing why his nose down trim was maxed out, while a 100 pound chunk of concrete at the end of a rope along with an old tire was dragging down the runway off his tail.
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