麻豆约拍

Alaska Airlines flight 1282 was on a routine flight from Portland in Oregon to Ontario in California, when an unused cabin door broke away a few minutes after take off.

The section that fell from the sky was a 27kg (60lb) part of the shell. Known as a door plug, this was used to fill an emergency exit that was built into the plane but not needed by the airline.

Alaska Airlines says it has since inspected other planes of the same type - Boeing 737 Max 9s - and discovered "some loose hardware". Meanwhile, United Airlines says bolts in need of "additional tightening" have been found while inspecting the relevant parts of its own fleet of 737 Max 9s.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates air travel in the US, has grounded 171 planes of the same type.

The vast majority of Boeing 737 Max 9s used in the US are operated by United Airlines and Alaska, while Turkish Airlines, Panama's Copa Airlines and Aeromexico have also grounded jets of the same model for inspections.

Boeing said in a statement: "Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers."

While the FAA, also in a statement, says: "Its priority is always keeping Americans safe. In that spirit, Boeing 737-9 aircraft will remain grounded until operators complete enhanced inspections which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components, and fasteners."

Aviation expert Neil Hansford is with airline consultancy Strategic Aviation Solutions in Sydney, Australia. He told Newsday he believes Boeing has a "cultural problem on quality standards".

(Photo: Flight 1282's missing door panel. Credit: Reuters.)

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