FAA will investigate whether Boeing failed to ensure planes were safe for flights

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday launched an investigation into whether Boeing failed to ensure its planes complied with the agency’s safety regulations, following last week’s midair blowout of a panel on one of the company’s aircraft.

“This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again. FAA formally notified Boeing that it is conducting an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations,” the FAA wrote in a statement.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun on Thursday said the company will “cooperate fully and transparently” with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s investigations.

On Friday, an Alaska Airlines flight experienced an “explosive decompression” when a fuselage panel or “plug” on the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft blew off minutes after departing from Portland, Ore.

The blowout caused a hole in the side of the aircraft, and pilots were forced to make an emergency landing back at Portland International Airport.

The plane, carrying 177 passengers, was supposed to travel to Ontario, Calif.

No injuries were reported in the incident, which sparked widespread calls for a full review of the incident and the Boeing model.

The FAA on Saturday temporarily grounded the estimated 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft models operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory to allow for full safety inspections. The grounding has caused hundreds of flight delays or cancellations from United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, the only U.S. airlines that fly the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. 

Alaska Airlines on Wednesday said it will cancel all flights scheduled with the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft through Saturday due to delays in safety inspections. This is equal to about 110 to 150 flights cancelled per day, the airline noted.  

The FAA noted the “safety of the flying public, not speed” will dictate when the Boeing 737 Max 9 will return to service.

Earlier this week, Calhoun acknowledged the “mistake” and said an such an incident “can never happen again.”

“We’re going to approach this, No. 1, acknowledging our mistake with 100 percent and complete transparency every step of the way,” Calhoun said in an address with Boeing employees.

While a cause behind the incident has not been revealed, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines reported separately they discovered loose panels on some of their Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

The NTSB is also investigating the incident and will look into whether four bolts that were designed to hold the panel in plane were missing when the plane took off. The door, which blew off the plane about 16,000 feet above Oregon, is being sent to the NTSB’s Washington, D.C. materials laboratory for further inspection.

The intact door panel on the right side of the door was examined by the NTSB, though no discrepancies were found.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said earlier this week a warning light for a pressurization problem with the plane that experienced the door plug blowout lit up on three previous flights, two last week and one in early December.

This story was updated at 2:41 p.m.