The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered the grounding of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes following a Jan. 5 event in which a mid-cabin door plug fell from an airplane during flight, causing a rapid decompression.
The FAA issued Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) 2024-02-51 on Jan. 6 prohibiting flight of the airplanes involved until they have been inspected and applicable corrective actions have been performed.
“The FAA is issuing this AD because the agency has determined the unsafe condition … is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design,” the EAD says, adding that the in-flight loss of a door plug could result in “injury to passengers and crew, the door impacting the airplane and/or loss of control of the airplane.”
The FAA said the EAD affects about 171 airplanes operated by U.S airlines or by other airlines in U.S territory.
The affected airplanes have the same configuration as the Al…
