US temporarily grounds 171 737 MAX 9 planes after mid-air explosion

A window and a piece of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 exploded in mid-air shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, on January 5 (US time). The explosion forced the plane to make an emergency landing, according to Reuters. Fortunately, all 174 passengers and 6 crew members were safe.

Following the explosion, Alaska Airlines grounded all 18 of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) then ordered safety inspections of 171 737 MAX 9s on January 6 before they could fly again, according to Reuters. The FAA did not say what the exact inspection requirements were.

The FAA is not ruling out further action as an investigation begins into the apparent structural defect that caused a rectangular hole in the fuselage area reserved for an optional side door that failed to operate on the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9.

United Airlines announced on January 6 that it had temporarily suspended service on all of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to conduct inspections as required by the FAA.

Boeing said it supports the FAA's decision.

The MAX is the latest version of the 737 family manufactured by Boeing. It is a twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft, and is commonly used on domestic flights in the United States. It entered service in May 2017.

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