NTSB Determines Probable Cause of Door Plug Accident

Agency cites Boeing for inadequate training, guidance, and oversight in January 2024 Alaska Airlines incident.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 10:14 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Steve Spears

Mid-exit door (MED) plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. [Credit: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB determined that inadequate training, guidance, and oversight by Boeing, specifically a failure to document the removal and reinstallation of the door plug during manufacturing rework, was the direct cause of the Alaska Airlines door plug detachment.
The FAA was also cited for ineffective oversight and failing to ensure Boeing addressed its repetitive and systemic quality control and recordkeeping issues.
The incident, caused by four missing critical bolts, has led to increased scrutiny of Boeing's production processes, a commitment to implementing improvements, and numerous NTSB recommendations for Boeing, the FAA, and airlines to enhance safety, training, and documentation.

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Inadequate training, guidance, and oversight on the part of the Boeing Company are to blame for the loss of the door plug from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 in January 2024.

On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a lengthy hearing to discuss the investigation into the event. The FAA was also cited for ineffective oversight of Boeing’s known recordkeeping issues.