FAA Chief Vows Heightened Scrutiny of Boeing After Max 9 Emergency

The new head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the agency is increasing its oversight of Boeing after one of the aircraft manufacturer’s 737 Max 9 jets was forced to make an emergency landing last month. “Going forward, we will have more boots on the ground, closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities,” FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker told members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation at a Feb. 6 hearing. The Jan. 5 emergency occurred when a door plug panel blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff. The incident prompted the FAA’s immediate grounding of 171 Max 9 jets and an investigation into Boeing’s compliance with federal regulations. The audit was later expanded to include Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing subcontractor based out of Wichita, Kansas....