TikTok user @strawberr.vy captured the descent of Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane after a large portion of the plane flew off. (@strawberr.vy/TikTok)
The FAA said Friday that it plans to ground the Boeing 737 MAX 9 until “extensive inspections and maintenance are performed” and data is reviewed.
The decision comes nearly a week after the agency grounded the plane after a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines plane in mid-air on Jan. 5.
“We are working to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Friday. “Our only concern is the safety of American travelers, and the Boeing 737-9 MAX will not return to the skies until we are fully satisfied that it is safe.”
Boeing told Fox News Digital it had no comment.
FAA is investigating whether Boeing failed to ensure the safe operation of aircraft
Images from the NTSB investigation into the Jan. 5 accident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on a Boeing 737-9 MAX in Portland, Oregon. (NTSB/Fox News)
The plane's cabin was depressurized at an altitude of about 16,000 feet when the door plug popped, causing a teenager's shirt to be ripped off, but no serious injuries were reported.
Alaska Airlines Passengers Sue Boeing Over 'Waking Nightmare'
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy told Fox News' Neil Cavuto on Monday that the incident could have been catastrophic had it occurred at a higher altitude.
An investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on a Boeing 737-9 MAX in Portland, Oregon. (NTSB/Fox News)
“If we think about a cruising altitude of about 30,000 or 35,000 feet, what happens?” Homedy said. “Flight attendants take care of the service for the passengers. The passengers are up and moving. People aren't wearing seatbelts. People are in the toilets. That would have been a completely different scenario.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Alaska and United Airlines have since both admitted to finding loose screws on planes during inspections following the incident.