The National Transportation Safety Board is set to examine the Federal Aviation Administration’s supervision of Boeing following an incident in which a door plug malfunctioned on a Boeing 737 Max mid-flight. The incident occurred during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Door plugs are put in place on certain 737s to seal a cutout that was created for an additional exit that was not necessary on the Alaska Airlines plane. The plug had been opened at a Boeing factory for repairs, but the securing bolts were not replaced when it was closed. Boeing is working on redesigning the door plugs to ensure they are properly secured before being closed.
Elizabeth Lund, Boeing’s senior vice president of quality, mentioned that the company aims to have the redesign implemented within a year, with plans to retrofit older 737s. The safety board is scheduled to interrogate representatives from Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems on their safety protocols. They will also investigate the FAA’s oversight of Boeing’s operations, particularly examining any changes made to their monitoring methods.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker acknowledged in June that the agency’s oversight was lacking before the incident took place. Following the incident, the FAA has increased the presence of inspectors at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities. The Alaska Airlines flight 1282 incident occurred shortly after departing from Portland, Oregon, resulting in a punctured fuselage, deployed oxygen masks, and an open cockpit door. Fortunately, there were no significant injuries, and the pilots managed to safely return the aircraft to Portland for landing.
