NTSB Hearings Set in Boeing Door Plug Failure Probe

According to a new report, the aircraft was to have come out of service for maintenance the same day the in-flight structural failure occurred.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 03:46 PM ET

Verified

According to the NTSB, a warning light that activates when there is a problem with the airplane’s pressurization system had come on twice days before an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a door plug in flight. [Courtesy: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB will conduct two public hearings in August to investigate the January 5 door plug blowout on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, aiming to determine the cause and improve safety.
Airline engineers reportedly sought maintenance for the aircraft the day before the incident due to recurring pressurization warnings, but it remained in service with flying restrictions.
The NTSB's preliminary investigation found that four bolts crucial for securing the door plug were missing, likely since the aircraft's delivery from the Boeing factory.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has announced it will conduct two hearings in August as part of its investigation into how and why a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger jet during flight.

The aircraft, operating as Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, was forced to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon on January 5 after the left midexit door plug dislodged, leading to rapid decompression.