Officials ordered the immediate grounding of Boeing 737-9 Max jets after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage on Saturday.
Inspections will affect about 171 airplanes worldwide and take around four to eight hours each, The Federal Aviation Administration said.
The Alaska Airlines flight had only just taken off from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, when the chunk of body work came detached mid-air.
The aeroplane needed to make an emergency landing as the missing panel caused a suction effect which was strong enough to tear the shirt off a child’s back and send it into the sky as passengers clung on.
All 171 passengers and six crew members were unhurt and the pilot was able to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport just 20 minutes after taking off.
Alaska Airlines has now grounded all of the models of the plane that was involved for reinspection.
In a statement, the FAA said it “will order the temporary grounding of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft operated by US airlines or in US territory”.
Passenger Evan Smith told local broadcaster KATU that the panel came unstuck only six minutes after take off.
"You heard a big loud bang to the left rear,” he said. “A whooshing sound and all the oxygen masks deployed instantly and everyone got those on.”
Pictures posted on social media showed the rear mid-cabin exit door separated from the aircraft during the flight.
Alaska Airlines has now grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 MAX aeroplanes to investigate the issue further. The National Transport Safety Board and British Civil Aviation Authority are also looking into the potential cause and effect.
A statement from the company read: "My heart goes out to those who were on this flight - I am so sorry for what you experienced.
"We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available."
The 737-9 MAX model is used regularly for commercial flights and Boeing has called on all airlines to check for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system.
It was the same plane type that was involved in crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia in 2018 and 2019 respectively. After these incidents the 737-9 MAX was grounded worldwide for a year from 2019 to 2020 until it was recertified.
The flight from Portland was the Alaska Airlines aircraft's third of the day and the particular plane has been on 145 flights since.
Alaska Airlines has been approached by the Evening Standard for further comment.
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