The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has resumed its investigation into the January emergency involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9. This week, the NTSB is conducting new interviews with Boeing and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel at Boeing's Renton, Washington plant, as part of its probe.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized the importance of reviewing all instances where a door plug was opened and closed to ensure comprehensive documentation. \"We are looking at other instances where a door plug was opened and closed to make sure that those records are available,\" Homendy stated during a U.S. Senate hearing.
Last month, Boeing acknowledged that necessary documents detailing the removal of the door plug on the affected Alaska Airlines flight were not created. Homendy highlighted concerns over missing records, noting that the NTSB is still unaware of the personnel involved in the September work on the aircraft.
The door plug panel failed shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, on January 5, leading to an in-flight emergency. In response, the FAA grounded the MAX 9 fleet for several weeks and mandated Boeing to address quality-control issues after an audit revealed manufacturing faults.
Additionally, the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the incident. The NTSB plans to hold a public investigative hearing on August 6-7, featuring testimonies from Boeing employees, Spirit AeroSystems, Alaska Airlines, and others.
Homendy also indicated that the NTSB is examining Boeing's safety culture and may conduct a safety culture survey to further understand the underlying issues. Despite past criticisms of Boeing’s cooperation, Homendy noted that the company is now actively working with investigators to identify and rectify the problems.
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NTSB conducting new interviews on Boeing 737 MAX 9 door plug probe
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