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 the Alaska Airlines door plug detached due to Boeing's failure to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight, resulting in critical bolts being left out after rework during manufacturing.
The FAA was also cited for its ineffective compliance enforcement surveillance and audit planning, failing to identify and ensure Boeing addressed its repetitive and systemic nonconformance issues regarding parts removal.
The incident revealed a lack of documentation and formal training for non-routine tasks at Boeing, leading to NTSB recommendations for both Boeing (e.g., redesigning door plugs, improving safety culture) and the FAA (e.g., increased oversight, 25-hour CVRs).

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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.