The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that four missing bolts led to a door failure on an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 9 on January 5. This incident resulted in a 19-day grounding of all 737 Max 9 models.
According to the NTSB's preliminary report, the absence of these critical bolts caused the door panel to blow off mid-air. The door plug, originally installed by Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas, had damaged rivets discovered during shipping to Boeing's Renton factory. During repair, the necessary bolts were not reinstalled, a lapse confirmed by photo evidence.
Boeing has expressed its commitment to address the issue, with President and CEO Dave Calhoun stating, \\"We are accountable for what happened. An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory.\\" The company is implementing a comprehensive quality enhancement plan and opening its factory to additional reviews by customers to prevent future incidents.
By taking these steps, Boeing aims to reinforce safety and restore trust among its global customer base, ensuring that such oversights do not recur in the aerospace industry.
Reference(s):
U.S. regulator says 4 missing bolts led to Boeing door incident
cgtn.com
