FAA orders inspection of 171 planes due to safety concerns

  • The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the grounding and inspection of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after an emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines flight
  • The emergency landing was caused by the loss of a door plug on the aircraft’s fuselage
  • The door plug was installed to cover up an emergency door that was no longer needed
  • Alaska Airlines has 65 MAX 9 jets, accounting for about 21% of its fleet
  • The MAX 9 jets with plugged doors began flying in 2015 and have not experienced this issue before
  • Boeing agrees with the FAA’s decision to ground the MAX 9 jets with the same configuration as the Alaska Air jet
  • The MAX 9 is a lower-volume model and the door-plug versions are even less common
  • Spirit AeroSystems is the supplier of the failed emergency door plug
  • Wall Street analysts believe the issue is a manufacturing problem and not a design problem

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the grounding and inspection of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after an emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines flight. The emergency landing was caused by the loss of a door plug on the aircraft’s fuselage. Alaska Airlines has 65 MAX 9 jets, accounting for about 21% of its fleet. The MAX 9 jets with plugged doors began flying in 2015 and have not experienced this issue before. Boeing agrees with the FAA’s decision to ground the MAX 9 jets with the same configuration as the Alaska Air jet. Spirit AeroSystems is the supplier of the failed emergency door plug. Wall Street analysts believe the issue is a manufacturing problem and not a design problem.

Public Companies: Boeing (BA), Alaska Airlines (ALK), Spirit AeroSystems (SPR)
Private Companies:
Key People: Robert Spingarn (Melius Research analyst), Jason Gursky (Citi analyst), Sheila Kahyaoglu (Jefferies analyst)


Factuality Level: 7
Justification: The article provides factual information about the emergency landing of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet operated by Alaska Air and the subsequent grounding and inspection of 171 planes by the Federal Aviation Administration. It also explains the reason for the emergency landing and provides details about the aircraft and its configuration. The article includes quotes from analysts and Wall Street opinions, which may introduce some bias, but overall, the information presented is accurate and objective.

Noise Level: 3
Justification: The article provides relevant information about the emergency landing of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet operated by Alaska Air and the subsequent grounding and inspection of 171 planes by the Federal Aviation Administration. It explains the incident, the reason for the grounding, and provides details about the aircraft and its configuration. The article also mentions previous issues with Boeing 737 MAX jets and the supplier of the emergency door plug. It includes quotes from analysts and their opinions on the impact of the issue on Boeing shares. Overall, the article stays on topic, provides relevant information, and supports its claims with examples and quotes.

Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Boeing and Alaska Airlines

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article discusses the grounding and inspection of Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets operated by Alaska Airlines, which raises questions about their safety. This event could impact the financial markets and companies involved, such as Boeing and Alaska Airlines.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com