Missing Bolts Discarded in Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max Door Blowout
Eighteen months after a door plug blew out mid-flight on a Boeing 737-9 Max, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a damning final report, pointing to Boeing’s poor quality control and revealing that four crucial bolts were likely thrown away during manufacturing.
The incident occurred on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, just six minutes after takeoff from Portland International Airport. As the plane climbed to 14,830 feet, the door plug detached, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. Fortunately, no one was seated next to the section, and the aircraft returned safely to the airport. All 177 passengers and crew escaped injury.
It took two days to recover the door plug from the ground. Investigators quickly discovered that all four bolts intended to secure it were missing. The NTSB noted that the plug had been shifting upward over previous flights. During the incident, it reached a point where the bolts should have engaged a dozen stop pads—any one bolt would have prevented the blowout.
According to the NTSB, the bolts were removed during manufacturing to perform rework but were never reinstalled. Boeing failed to document the removal or assign traceable responsibility, and investigators were unable to determine who performed the work. Only one out of roughly two dozen workers on Boeing’s 737 Max door team had prior experience removing door plugs, and that person was on vacation at the time of the incident.
“The safety deficiencies that led to this accident should have been evident to Boeing and the FAA,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “This time, it was missing bolts. But the same deficiencies could have caused other serious quality escapes—or worse.”
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about Boeing’s manufacturing practices and regulatory oversight. Investigations are also continuing into the deadly June 2025 crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed 241 passengers and 19 people on the ground. The aircraft lost engine power during takeoff and crashed into a nearby medical college. A sole survivor walked away from the wreckage.
Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=alaska+airlines, https://airguide.info/?s=boeing, https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com