NTSB and Boeing Unable to Identify Who Removed 737-9 Door Plug
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing have been unable to determine who removed a door plug in a new Alaska Airlines 737-9 Max that experienced an in-flight emergency in January 2024, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy revealed on Tuesday Aug. 6.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized the need for significant improvements in Boeing’s safety practices. “The safety culture needs a lot of work at Boeing,” she stated. “From the evidence and interviews, it’s clear there’s not a lot of trust, and there’s a lot of distrust within the workforce.”
FAA’s Directive for Boeing
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also highlighted the necessity for Boeing to enhance its safety culture and practices. The FAA has directed Boeing to address quality issues before the agency will permit an increase in 737 MAX production.
Boeing has not yet commented on these statements.
Investigation Details
The NTSB reported that the 737-9 was missing four key bolts. Boeing admitted that required documents detailing the removal of the door plug during the production of the 737 MAX 9 were never created. Since 2019, Boeing has recorded 52 instances of door plug removals.
Boeing’s Senior Vice President for Quality, Elizabeth Lund, announced new measures to prevent such incidents. The company now places a bright blue and yellow sign on the door plug upon arrival at the factory that reads: “Do not open,” adding redundancy to ensure the plug is not inadvertently opened.
Challenges in the Investigation
Homendy mentioned that the NTSB has been unable to interview the door plug team manager, who is currently on medical leave. Earlier this year, the NTSB had to press Boeing to obtain the names of the 25 employees who worked on the door plug.
While the NTSB has conducted some interviews and obtained written statements, Homendy expressed concerns. “Each of those written statements ends with the line, ‘I have no knowledge.’ It’s the same actual line. So I have some questions about that,” she said.
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com