The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that multiple systemic failures at Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) led to the January 2024 door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9. The incident occurred six minutes into Flight 1282, forcing an emergency landing in Oregon with 177 people aboard.
The NTSB identified Boeing’s inadequate training, guidance and oversight of factory workers as the primary cause.
During manufacturing, Boeing workers removed the door plug to repair nearby rivets but failed to document the work. Without records, the bolts meant to secure the panel were never reinstalled. At the time, only one member of Boeing’s 24-person door team had previous experience opening the door plug. That employee was on vacation, leaving a trainee with only 17 months of experience at Boeing and previous jobs at fast-food restaurants to help.
How did oversight failures contribute?
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that both Boeing and the FAA should have identified the safety risks long before the incident. The FAA’s compliance enforcement and audit systems failed to detect Boeing’s repeated nonconformities related to parts removal procedures. The lack of inspections allowed the unsecured door to go unnoticed until the in-flight failure created a gaping hole at 16,000 feet. Eight passengers suffered minor injuries.
What are the new safety recommendations?
The NTSB issued several recommendations to the FAA, including overhauling compliance and audit systems, improving manager and inspector training, retaining longer audit records and commissioning an independent review of Boeing’s safety culture. The FAA said it is actively evaluating these proposals, has not lifted Boeing’s 737 production cap and continues weekly performance meetings with the manufacturer.
How are Boeing and officials responding?
Boeing said it regrets the accident and continues to strengthen its safety processes. Alaska Airlines praised its flight crew and reiterated its commitment to safety. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Boeing and the previous administration for allowing safety to lapse but said reforms now place safety as the top priority.
