NTSB Finds Alaska Air Boeing 737 Max Jet Had Missing Door Bolts

A preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board finds the mid-air incident with an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet last month was caused by a door plug that had not been properly attached before Boeing Co. delivered the plane. 

NTSB issues the preliminary report for its ongoing investigation of the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines flight 1282 door plug accident. The report is on the NTSB investigation web page: https://t.co/nK5xY7ly9D pic.twitter.com/DiBlVlHV43

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) February 6, 2024

NTSB said the Max 9 jet was missing four bolts, which were supposed to serve as a fail-safe mechanism for securing the panel to the fuselage. 

X user Jason Rabinowitz, who reviewed the report, cited a line from NTSB’s report: “Four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED plug were missing before the MED plug moved upward off the stop pads.” 

The @NTSB has released its preliminary report on the #AS1282 #737MAX-9 door plug accident. Highlights:

• Indications that…”four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED plug were missing before the MED plug moved upward off the stop pads.” pic.twitter.com/4G90dN8Eg0

— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) February 6, 2024

Rabinowitz said the report confirms that Boeing’s fuselage-maker Spirit AeroSystems delivered the fuselages to the planemaker with defects around the door plug that required its opening. 

“Photos from Boeing actually show the door plug opened for work, then closed again ***without the bolts to hold it in place***,” he said. 

• NTSB confirms that @SpiritAero delivered the fuselage to @BoeingAirplanes with defects around the door plug that required its opening.

Photos from Boeing actually show the door plug opened for work, then closed again ***without the bolts to hold it in place*** pic.twitter.com/aawyWcTJ3h

— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) February 6, 2024

And this. 

The NTSB’s report only includes facts and comes to no conclusions. But it sure does confirm reports from @theaircurrent and elsewhere that a massive process and documentation problem exists between Boeing and Spirit. https://t.co/lyh3cO40uV pic.twitter.com/I1bGIQJyV0

— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) February 6, 2024

“We caused the problem,” Boeing’s CEO Dave Calhoun said on a Jan. 31 earnings call.

Calhoun continued: “Over these last few weeks, I’ve had tough conversations with our customers, with our regulators, congressional leaders and more. We understand why they are angry, and we will work to earn their confidence.”

pic.twitter.com/jCK3h4sMux

— Frank (@Alien_Frank1) February 6, 2024

Meanwhile, the NTSB’s website that has the report crashed… 

the NTSB website has…. crashed

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 6, 2024

Are the same folks who made Boeing Max jets now making websites?