The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) two-day investigative hearing into the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout on January 5, 2024, begins on August 6, 2024.
While by no means the conclusion of the NTSB’s investigation into the accident, the hearing does represent a seminal moment in one of aviation’s most challenging events of recent times.
On August 5, 2024, the NTSB provided more details about the witnesses that will appear which include executives and representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems.
The NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy will open proceedings with a statement before moving into the hearing’s first segment which is an overview of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 manufacturing and inspection processes.
Senior Vice President of Quality for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Elizabeth Lund, and Vice President of Supplier Quality at Boeing Commercial Airplane, Doug Ackerman, will both be providing evidence at this stage, as well as Terry George and Scott Grabon from Spirit AeroSystems.
Important discussions will include the process for documenting removals of previously installed parts or components.
Boeing previously admitted that no paperwork existed for the removal of the door plug and four bolts during the manufacturing process so that some maintenance work could be carried out.
During the afternoon, the hearing will focus almost entirely on this issue, with Elizabeth Lund providing more evidence followed by Michael Riney, a Customer Relations Director from Spirit AeroSystems based at the Renton facility.
At this stage the hearing will look at the lack of documentation for the removal and reinstatement of the door plug and the role of the Spirit employees (staffed by Aerotech, Strom Aviation, Launch) in Renton.
The second day of the hearing will cover Safety Management Systems and Quality Management Systems and FAA oversight.
As well as Doug Ackerman providing more evidence, Hector Silva, Director of Quality at Boeing, and Paul Wright, Senior Director of Boeing Safety Management Systems, will appear in the morning session.
Later in the afternoon FAA representatives Brian Knaup and Brian Knaup will give evidence on topics that span processes for oversight of production and the results of the FAA audit of Boeing following the Alaska Airlines accident.
The hearing will be available for the public to watch on a livestream.
