US FAA recommends door plug checks for Boeing 737-900ER jets

The US FAA late Sunday recommended operators of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft visually inspect mid-exit door plugs to ensure the component is properly secured. The FAA on Jan. 6 grounded 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes following the mid-air cabin blowout of a door plug on an eight-week old Alaska Airlines jet. The FAA said the Boeing 737-900ER is not part of the newer MAX fleet but has the same door plug design. The FAA issued a "Safety Alert for Operators" Sunday disclosing some airlines have conducted additional inspections on the 737-900ER mid-exit door plugs "and have noted findings with bolts during the maintenance inspections." A Boeing spokesperson said in an email that "we fully support the FAA and our customers in this action." The Boeing 737-900ER has over 11m hours of operation and 3.9m flight cycles. The FAA said the door plug has not been an issue with this model.<br/>