Investigators are questioning Boeing officials in hearings about the blowout of a cabin panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, an incident that raised questions about the company’s safety practices and reputation.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began a two-day hearing in Washington, DC on August 6, 2024, to uncover more details about the January 2024 incident.
Elizabeth Lund, Boeing’s Senior Vice President, was the main witness to testify in the hearing, stating that Boeing is working on design changes that it hopes to implement within the year.
NTSB and FAA investigators have established that the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft was missing four bolts from the door plug at the time of the incident.
“We are working on some design changes that will allow the door plug to not be closed if there’s any issue until it’s firmly secured,” Lund said during the hearing, adding that Boeing has now placed a bright blue and yellow sign on the door plug saying ‘Do not open’ to prevent accidental opening.
After gathering feedback from the investigation teams, the NTSB, the FAA, and the manufacturer’s customers, Lund said that Boeing implemented changes in four main areas: training, streamlining and internal processes, eliminating defects in supply chain, and improving safety culture.
Boeing does not have a record of who removed the door plug that contributed to the incident on Alaska Airlines flight 1282, as recordings are only kept for 30 days. However, two employees “likely involved” were placed on administrative leave.
The NTSB investigation will continue and could take another year or longer, with further examination to determine the main probable cause of the incident.
How the blowout happened
The blowout incident occurred on January 5, 2024. It is understood that shortly after Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft took off from Portland International Airport (PDX), a window and its surrounding panel broke away from the aircraft.
The blowout caused a loud explosion and created a substantial hole in the side of the aircraft. There were reports that passengers’ mobile phones, and even a child’s T-shirt, were sucked out of the cabin following the incident.
The pilot made an emergency landing and returned safely back to PDX with all 171 passengers and six crew unharmed.
The NTSB released an interim report into the incident in April 2024, where it is stated that Boeing has since issued multiple multi-operator messages.
Additionally, Alaska Airlines grounded its fleet of B737-9 airplanes to inspect the MED plugs before returning the aircraft to service. The airline’s own inspections began on January 6, 2024, the day after the incident. The airline returned its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet to service on the evening of January 26, 2024.
