FAA Grounds Boeing 737 MAX 9 Fleet After Near-Catastrophic Failure
Aviation regulators have temporarily grounded a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets in response to a near-catastrophic failure on an Alaskan Airlines flight on Friday night, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday, announced that it is requiring immediate inspections of certain jets before they can return to the skies.
Approximately 171 planes in operation worldwide will be affected by these urgent inspections.
The FAA stated that “safety will continue to drive our decision-making” as it assists the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the incident.
The incident occurred during an Alaskan Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to California when terrified passengers reported fearing for their lives after an emergency exit, which was used as a cabin window, blew out at an altitude of 16,000 feet.
The Alaskan Airlines flight was quickly grounded, and the FAA has now taken further action by temporarily grounding almost all Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets. The regulator made this announcement through a tweet on Saturday, January 6.
The FAA’s decision to ground the fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets follows similar steps taken by other airlines and regulators.
Several airlines are reportedly preparing to make similar announcements. Even China’s national aviation regulator is ordering an emergency meeting to discuss grounding the jets across the nation.
The aircraft involved in the incident had already come under scrutiny by officials.
Just one day before the window blew out, an intermittent warning light appeared as the aircraft taxied to a terminal from a previous flight. This led the airline to remove the aircraft from extended range operations (ETOPS). Later that same day, during a separate flight, the warning came back on.
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet involved in the incident had only entered service in November 2023 and had reportedly undergone less than 200 flights before the incident occurred.
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Passenger Emma Vu, who was on board the flight, described feeling the entire plane drop around 20 minutes into the flight. She shared her final texts to her family, pleading, “I don’t want to die.” Vu also showed a selfie she took in the moment, fearing it could be her last.
The pilot of the aircraft radioed for emergency help, stating, “Portland approach, Alaska 1282 emergency! Aircraft is now leveling 12,000 in a left turn heading three four zero.” Reports indicate the seat next to the blown-out window (26A) was unoccupied.
The blown-out window was designed as an emergency exit, although the door had been deactivated by Boeing before delivery. It appeared as a regular window seat from the inside of the cabin, while the deactivated door’s frame remained visible from the outside.
The area of the fuselage that was ripped out aligns perfectly with the door frame, suggesting a possible structural failure.
The National Safety Transport Board is currently investigating the incident and will provide updates when available.
