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NTSB Sanctions Boeing for Sharing Door Plug Blow Out Investigative Details

The move comes days after a company executive speculated about possible causes of the incident on a737 Max 9 passenger jet earlier this year.

Boeing is facing restrictions and sanctions from the NTSB after the aircraft manufacturer divulged nonpublic information related to an ongoing investigation, NTSB said. [Courtesy: Shutterstock]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The NTSB has sanctioned Boeing for violating investigative regulations and a party agreement by divulging nonpublic information and speculating on the cause of the January 5 door-plug blowout to the media.
  • As a result of these actions, Boeing will retain party status but lose access to the NTSB's investigative information, and the agency may subpoena any required records.
  • Boeing has issued an apology to the NTSB, acknowledging that some of their comments "overstepped" the NTSB's role as the sole source of investigative information.
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Boeing is facing restrictions and sanctions from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after the company divulged nonpublic information related to an ongoing investigation, the agency said Thursday.

The NTSB said the aircraft manufacturer “blatantly violated NTSB investigative regulations—and Boeing’s signed party agreement with the NTSB—by providing nonpublic investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the January 5 door-plug blowout on a Boeing passenger jet in Portland, Oregon.”

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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