SAFETY FIRST

FAA Urges Airlines to Check Door Plugs on Another Boeing Aircraft

The agency said operators should “ensure the door is properly secured.”

The Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday recommended that airlines carry out checks on a second Boeing plane that uses the same door plug design as the 737 MAX 9, the aircraft grounded by the agency after the loss of a door plug during an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this month. “As an added layer of safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is recommending that operators of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft visually inspect mid-exit door plugs to ensure the door is properly secured,” the federal agency said. The FAA acknowledged that the 737-900ER “is not part of the newer MAX fleet” but said the shared door plug design necessitated the inspections. A door plug is a panel on the fuselage used to seal a space that would be used as an exit if the plane has more seats. The FAA grounded 171 737 MAX 9 planes after the Alaska Airlines incident on Jan. 5.