United Airlines has found loose bolts on emergency exit door plugs on some of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The loose bolts were found as it inspects its fleet of 79 MAX 9s. The Air Current first reported the story, quoting unnamed sources as saying loose bolts were found on five aircraft. United has since confirmed the report but did not say how many aircraft were involved. Aviation journalist Edward Russell posted an image on X that shows the loose bolts, saying it was sent to him by an unnamed source.
“Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug — for example, bolts that needed additional tightening,” United said in a statement. “These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.” Boeing did not immediately comment, nor did the FAA. Alaska Airlines has not so far reported finding any issues with the door plugs.
