Boeing 737 Max 9 Jet Door Plug Was Missing Bolts
CHICAGO (February 6, 2024) – The Boeing 737 Max 9 jet was at approximately 16,000 feet when a door plug unexpectedly blew off leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. An investigation has been ongoing for the past few weeks to determine how this incident occurred. No one was seriously hurt, but the Jan. 5 incident has renewed major questions about quality control at Boeing and its top suppliers.
The National Transportation Safety Board released a report that stated four bolts used to secure the panel were removed and appear not to have been replaced at Boeing’s factory in Renton, Wash.
According to Boeing’s records, the door plug was opened to repair damaged rivets on the plane’s fuselage. Once the door was reinstalled on the plane after the rivets had been repaired, the safety board said it appeared that not all the bolts were put back.
According to The New York Times, the N.T.S.B. provided a photograph of the door plug after it was reinstalled but before the plane’s interior was restored. In the image, three of the four bolts appear to be missing. The location of the fourth bolt is covered with insulation.
The safety board said there was no evidence that the plug was opened again after it left Boeing’s factory. The plane was delivered to Alaska Airlines at the end of October.
In a statement, Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s chief executive, said, “Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened.”
