If you already have a fear of flying, you may not want to read any further, as the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes in the U.S. after a panel detached mid-flight during an Alaska Airlines flight.
The incident quickly went viral on social media, as passengers aboard the plane took video of the paneling missing while they were thousands of feet in the air.
Luckily, the FAA has since shared that no passengers were in the seats directly next to the pane. The plane was able to turn around and land at Portland International Airport, where the flight originated, on Friday evening.
Now, about 171 737 Max 9 planes will be grounded until further notice, affecting more than half of the 218 being used worldwide, the FAA shared.
“The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 planes before they can return to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a press release. “Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the [National Transportation Safety Board’s] investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.”
The decision to ground the planes stems from a report of an in-flight departure of a mid-cabin doorplug, which resulted in a rapid decompression of the airplane,” the FAA said in reference to the Alaska Airlines incident.
The potential for harm is another reason behind the FAA’s decision, which said, “injury to passengers and crew, the door impacting the airplane, and/or loss of control of the airplane” could be possible in another aircraft of the same model.
Boeing has since said it supports the decision from the FAA and will work to fix the issue in the aircraft.
“Safety is our top priority, and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said in a statement. “We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane.”