US opens safety investigation into Boeing

Al Jazeera :
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is launching a formal investigation into aircraft manufacturer Boeing after a cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 Max 9 jet last week forced an emergency landing.
“This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again,” the FAA said in a statement on Thursday, after a panel known as a “door plug” blew out of the plane, causing a gaping hole, shortly after takeoff from the western US state of Oregon.
There were no fatalities or serious injuries after Alaska Airlines safely executed an emergency landing in the January 5 incident, but investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have said the incident could have resulted in serious harm.
The FAA probe – which could result in a financial penalty on Boeing – marks an escalation by the agency following the first major in-flight safety issue on a Boeing plane since the fatal 2018 and 2019 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people and led to all aircraft being grounded for nearly two years.