NTSB Reports No Bolts in Blown Out 737 Max Door

The Boeing airliner flew missing critical parts.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, February 06, 2024 at 07:11 PM ET

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Photo of seat rows 25ABC and 26ABC in the preliminary NTSB report. [image source: NTSB report]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's preliminary report on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 found that critical bolts were missing from the door plug, causing its detachment during flight.
The bolts were removed at the Boeing factory to repair damaged rivets on the door plug and were evidently not replaced before the aircraft entered service.
The incident resulted in minor injuries and significant cabin damage, leading to a temporary grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft by the FAA.
The FAA and NTSB are continuing investigations, scrutinizing Boeing's manufacturing and quality control processes.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the investigation into the loss of a door plug during flight aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. According to the report released today, critical bolts were removed from the door assembly at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington and evidently were not replaced before the aircraft entered service.

The Boeing jet had a mid exit door (MED) blow out just minutes after taking off from Portland International Airport (KPDX) as the aircraft climbed through 16,000 feet. The pilots declared an emergency and returned for landing.