The US Federal Aviation Administration has ordered checks on a second type of aircraft, recommending airlines operating Boeing 737-900ER jets to inspect door plugs due to reports of unspecified issues with bolts.
This recommendation comes after the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes following a mid-air cabin blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines jet.
The 737-900ER has a similar door plug design to the MAX fleet, but it is not part of the newer MAX fleet.
The FAA has disclosed that airlines have found issues with bolts during maintenance inspections of the 737-900ER mid-exit door plugs.
The FAA has recommended air carriers to perform maintenance procedures to secure the door plug to the airframe as soon as possible.
United and Alaska Airlines have reported loose parts on grounded MAX 9 aircraft and have had to cancel thousands of flights due to the grounding.
