The head of the FAA said Wednesday A review of the tragic incident aboard the Alaska Airlines Boeing offers hope of clearing the way So the planes fly again.
official, said Mike Whittaker, FAA Boeing will not accept any requests to expand production of MAX planes Until the agency is satisfied that quality control issues have been resolved.
Following the announcement, United Airlines expects to resume service of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft from Sunday.
The move came the same day that a key senator indicated that Congress would join in investigating Boeing.
Sen. Rep. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., met with Boeing CEO David Calhoun to discuss incidents this month, including when a Boeing 737 Max 9 was blown off by a door plug while flying 3 miles away. (3 mi) above Oregon.
Cantwell said he told Calhoun that quality engineering and safety should be the company's top priorities.
“Flying American civilians and Boeing line workers deserve a leadership culture at Boeing It puts safety before profit,” said Cantwell, who represents the state that assembles Boeing 737 planes.
Candwell said the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which he chairs, will conduct investigations “to investigate the root causes of these security failures.” No dates have been announced.
A hole in the middle of the plane: This is the horrifying moment when a window fell from a passenger plane
They examine the missing screws in the doors
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Crash on Alaska Airlines Max 9. NTSB officials say they are investigating whether bolts that help secure a door insert were missing before the plane took off from Portland, Oregon.
The explosion left a hole in the side of the plane, but the pilots were able to land safely.
A researcher from The NTSB is returning to the Boeing 737 assembly plant in Renton, Washington, a board spokesman said Friday as the investigation continues. Investigators are creating a timeline of the failed door stop, from the earliest stages of its production to the flight that took off.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures during manufacturing.
