Expansion of controls at Boeing

After the near-miss of the 737 MAX 9, the US aviation authority FAA is now also targeting an older version of the Boeing 737. It is a previous model with a longer range.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recommended that airlines check the panels in front of unnecessary emergency exits on 737-900ER aircraft to be on the safe side. This is an older variant of the Boeing 737. Boeing used the same design for the model as the newer 737-9 Max.

505 copies delivered

The older 737-900ER is a version of the Max predecessor 737 NG with an extended range (“ER” – Extended Range). In the fuselage of this type, as with the 737-9 Max, there is a frame on each side for an unnecessary emergency exit, which is closed with a solid fuselage part instead of a door. However, this does not apply to all models; as with the 737 MAX 9, it depends on the exact seat configuration.

According to Boeing, 505 units of the 737-900ER were delivered worldwide. Whether the door plugs are used depends on the exact seat configuration – not all aircraft are affected. One of its largest operators is Delta Airlines, which, according to Bloomberg, has the largest fleet with 163 aircraft. This is followed by United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Boeing shares lost more than two percent premarket.

External audit at Boeing

On January 5, such a fuselage part broke off during climb on an almost new 737 MAX 9 aircraft from Alaska Airlines. The pilots were able to land the plane safely, and the 177 people on board were largely unscathed. The FAA has since banned the variant with this component from flying. Around 170 machines worldwide are affected.

At Boeing, the accident follows a series of development and production errors. The most frequently ordered type, the 737 Max, the new edition of the 737 medium-haul jet that has been built since the 1960s, is repeatedly affected. With this further development, the US company responded to the success of the competing model A320neo from the European manufacturer Airbus.

The FAA is now investigating Boeing and the supplier Spirit Aerosystems, which produces the majority of the approximately 70 percent of the 737 MAX fuselages. This concerns any defects in production. Boeing is now allowing airlines into its factories and also wants to have its work checked by an external party.