NTSB Identifies Part That Failed on 737 Max 9

With the door plug recovered, the team is heading back to Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, January 09, 2024 at 05:00 PM ET

Verified

In wrapping up the Portland, Oregon, investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board identified what part failed but doesn’t know why. [Courtesy: NTSB]

Key Takeaways:

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 experienced an explosive decompression mid-flight when a door plug detached, necessitating an emergency landing with no serious injuries to passengers or crew.
The NTSB located the missing door plug and preliminarily determined it translated upward, disengaging its stop pins, though critical restraining bolts are still unrecovered and their existence unknown.
Flight data recorded a rapid loss of cabin pressure, and investigators are examining previous warnings related to the aircraft's auto pressurization system for any correlation to the incident.
The global 737 Max 9 fleet remains grounded for FAA-approved inspections, with the NTSB's comprehensive investigation into the door plug failure expected to take several months.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is wrapping up its on-site investigation into the explosive decompression of a Boeing 737 Max 9 over Portland, Oregon.

On Monday, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy thanked the public and local law enforcement for helping find the door plug that flew off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 shortly after takeoff from Runway 28L on Friday. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport (KPDX).