US Aviation Body Grounds All Boeing 737 MAX 9 Planes After Alaska Incident; CEO Acknowledges 'Mistake'

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an order for the temporary suspension of all Boeing Max aircraft in the wake of the accidental mid-air opening of an emergency door on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 bound for Ontario, California.

The FAA has opted to cease the operations of specific Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes utilized by U.S. airlines or operating within the US following this incident. They have reportedly taken a decisive step in response to the ongoing series of accidents involving Boeing Max, choosing to suspend all activities until further notice.

What is the Boeing administration saying?

According to an AFP report, the CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun, has publicly admitted accountability for the incident of the emergency door opening and has also vowed to maintain full transparency as the aviation administration continues supervision.

Reportedly, Calhoun said, “We're going to approach this (by) number one acknowledging our mistake."

Operation of 737 Max 9 aircraft meets setback

Boeing faced a setback in resuming operations of the 737 Max 9 aircraft, as government officials ordered a revision of the guidelines for airlines conducting plane inspections, on Tuesday.

The FAA in s statement reportedly said, “Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing, the FAA will conduct a thorough review. The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service," as reported by the New York Times.

On January 9, new concerns emerged about Boeing's 737 MAX family as loose parts were discovered on parked planes, compounding existing worries among experts about the jet's manufacturing process.

A Hindustan Times report suggests that AA Administrator Mike Whitaker has mentioned the FAA mandating prompt inspections of specific Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before their resumption of flight. He has reportedly emphasized that safety would persist as the primary consideration in decision-making while aiding the NTSB's investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

Exaplaining the situation, the National Transportation Safety Board said that during Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on Friday night, roller guides at the top of one of the plugs broke — for reasons the investigators don't fully understand yet — allowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 “stop pads” that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane. But none of the 180 people onboard including the passengers and crew member were harmed during the incident.