US regulator orders inspections on some Boeing MAX 9 planes after emergency

Washington (AFP) - The US air safety regulator announced Saturday it was grounding some Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes pending inspections, a day after a panel blew out of one of the planes over the western state of Oregon.  The Federal Aviation Administration "is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight," the agency said on X, formerly Twitter.  The agency said around 171 aircraft worldwide would be affected, with each inspection taking four to eight hours.  "Safety will continue to drive our decision-making," the FAA statement said. Alas...