NTSB Chief Testifies That Boeing Is Stonewalling on 737 Door Plug Blowout

Jennifer Homendy tells lawmakers the company has yet to provide names of the installation team and critical documents; Boeing asserts after hearing NTSB has been updated.

John Gallagher

Wednesday, March 06, 2024 at 04:34 PM ET

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NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on March 6. [Credit: U.S. Senate]

Key Takeaways:

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy testified that Boeing has withheld critical information, including employee names and documentation, for over two months, hindering the investigation into the Alaska Airlines door plug incident.
The lack of transparency and potentially undocumented work raises significant concerns about Boeing's quality assurance and safety management systems.
Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing supplier, also faced criticism for transparency issues, specifically misrepresenting individuals as contractors rather than employees to the NTSB.
Senate lawmakers expressed strong dissatisfaction with the lack of cooperation and demanded that Boeing provide the requested information by March 13.

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The country’s top transportation safety official stunned Senate lawmakers on Wednesday after testifying that Boeing has yet to provide information crucial to her agency’s investigation into Alaska Airlines’ door plug blowout incident.

Testifying before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said that despite numerous requests, NTSB has not received the names of 25 people working at the company’s Renton, Washington, facility responsible for opening, closing, and removing the door plug involved in the January 5 event or documentation supporting their work.