WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration is recommending that operators of **********-900ER aircraft visually inspect mid-exit door plugs to ensure the door is properly secured.

The **********-900ER is not part of the newer MAX fleet but has the same door plug design.

The FAA posted the statement on its site this past weekend, calling the extra measure “an added layer of safety.”

The FAA added that in accordance with their Safety Management Systems, operators conducted additional inspections on the **********-900ER following the loss of a mid-cabin door plug on a **********-9 MAX airplane on January 5.

That ********, on an Alaska Airlines flight taking off from Portland, OR, resulted in an ********* landing with all passengers and crew safe and sound. Alaska Airlines has put a flexible rebooking and change policy in place.

The FAA’s subsequent grounding of the B737-Max 9 fleet is still in effect. On Jan. 17 the FAA said that “after taking decisive action to ground 171 **********-9 MAX airplanes, the FAA is now investigating Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines, including those involving subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, bolstering its oversight of Boeing, and examining potential system change.”