US aviation watchdog opens probe into Boeing following Alaska Airlines mid-air window blowout incident

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it was opening an investigation into Boeing following a near-catastrophic incident with Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX. The probe is aimed at Boeing's quality control.

"This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again," the FAA said in a statement.Notably, a panel known as a "door plug" blew out of the plane over the western US state of Oregon last week.

The regulator added that the probe will look into whether Boeing failed to make sure its products conformed to approved designs.

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The pilots of the passenger plane were able to successfully land the plane. There were no fatalities or any major injuries.

Regulators in the US then grounded 171 MAX 9 planes which have configurations similar to the plane involved in the incidentlast Friday.

On Thursday, the FAA said that it is "conducting an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations."

"Boeing's manufacturing practices need to comply with the high safety standards they're legally accountable to meet," the FAA added in a statement.

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FAA said that safety considerations will decide when the planes will return to service.

Boeing's Chief Executive Dave Calhoun accepted responsibility for the Alaska Airlines incident. He has since vowed "complete transparency".

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National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators have said that the affected door plug panel was not fixed properly. The panel is used to fill an emergency exit that, as AFP reported,is "unneeded".

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Since the incident on Friday, Alaska Airlines as well as United Airlines have reported that some of their Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes have been found with loose hardware during inspection.

What was the Alaska Airlines incident?

The aircraft lost the panel of the fuselage shortly after take-off and the cabin became depressurised. The gaping hole in the plane's body sucked an unoccupied seat out along with other things. The plane was in the air at this time.

Fortunately, the pilots were able to control the aircraft and make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.

Boeing's 737 series has been beset with trouble and has often come in the crosshairs of regulators around the world. The planes have been involved in some major crashes and there have been other safety issues.

Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were grounded across the world following crashes in 2018 and 2019.

With its constant association with bad news, the image of the 737 series and also of Boeing has taken a hit over the years. Boeing shares have fallen by almost 40 per cent since 2019 and at the same time, shares of rival Airbus have gone up by 25 per cent.

(With inputs from agencies)