Mid-air blowout puts Boeing back in hot seat

Under suspension: A worker walks past a 737 MAX-9 under construction at Boeing’s production facility in Renton, Washington. The FAA says 171 Boeing MAX 9 airplanes will remain grounded until it is convinced they can safely operate. — Reuters

A mid-air blowout has put jetmaker Boeing back in the exact place investors and management hoped it would avoid – back in the regulatory crosshairs just as it was awaiting approval of new models of its best-selling MAX jet.

Investigators said it is too early to determine what caused a so-called door plug to fall off from the side of an aircraft operated by one of Boeing’s most loyal customers, Alaska Airlines, last Friday with 171 passengers on board.