Janice R. Andrews
Lack of proper documentation has been impeding the inquiry into the frightening event when a door plug blew off a 737 Max on an Alaska Airlines flight for months. Boeing said last week that the problem may have originated from a lack of paperwork.
The Event
A door plug blowing off an airplane caused a near-tragic scenario for passengers on an Alaska Airlines trip in January. It was unclear who made the mistake because there was no documentation. Boeing said at a meeting at its Renton, Washington, 737 Max production that the four required bolts were not placed before the aircraft departed the facility in October due to a lack of paperwork. The occurrence was practically certain since the workmen who were in charge of replacing the bolts never got the work order. Thankfully, nobody was killed.
Problems with Quality Control
The wider problems with quality control in Boeing’s production lines are highlighted by this occurrence. These issues have drawn several federal investigations, been the subject of whistleblower disclosures, and delayed the delivery of jets, which has affected travelers and airlines all around the world.
Rebuke on Regulation
The disclosure by Boeing has further strained the company’s ties to authorities. Boeing was censured by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for providing the media with “non-public investigative information”. The NTSB declared that by giving investigative data and analysis during the briefing, Boeing had “blatantly violated” the agency’s regulations. As a result, throughout its investigation, Boeing will no longer have access to NTSB-generated material, and the Department of Justice has been tasked with handling the case.
The Absent Documentation
In the Tuesday briefing, Boeing clarified that the miscommunication between two personnel groups at the facility was the cause of the Alaska Air door plug issue. To resolve problems with rivets provided by Spirit AeroSystems, one crew took off the door plug, but they forgot to take pictures. Assuming there was documentation proving the plug and bolts had been taken out, the second crew that replaced the plug did so momentarily to shield the fuselage from the elements.
The commercial aviation unit’s senior vice president of quality, Elizabeth Lund, clarified that the interim solution was standard procedure and that no one else on the assembly line was aware that the door plug’s bolts were missing due to a lack of paperwork.
Near-Tragic Repercussions
With the door plug in place but without the bolts, the plane was able to fly for around two months. The door stopper broke out on January 5, just after the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, leaving a large hole in the aircraft. Things belonging to the passengers were sucked out, but luckily no one was seriously hurt, and the crew made a safe landing.
The NTSB identified the missing fasteners in its early findings, but the report did not place responsibility. The NTSB is still looking into this, and a full report should be released in a year or more.
Boeing’s Reaction
To verify that all duties are finished before the aircraft advances, Boeing is slowing down the manufacturing line as part of its response to the issue. Lund stressed that these precautions will guarantee the safety of every aircraft that leaves the facility.
“To ensure that this is under control, we have slowed down our factories,” she remarked. “I have the utmost confidence that the steps we have taken will guarantee the safety of every aircraft leaving this factory.”
Boeing’s Impact
The difficulties Boeing has in upholding its reputation and operational integrity are exacerbated by this occurrence and the regulatory censure that followed. The business has already had to face quality control problems and delays in aircraft delivery, which have prompted many federal inquiries. Unauthorized publication of investigation data might result in legal repercussions and increased regulatory attention.
The Boeing 737 Max incident on Alaska Air, which involved a missing door plug, brings to light serious problems with Boeing’s construction procedure and communication systems. Even while Boeing is taking steps to avoid similar mishaps in the future, the firm will probably still be affected by the continuing investigations and regulatory criticism. As Boeing navigates these obstacles and seeks to rebuild trust in its processes, maintaining openness and adhering to safety procedures will be essential.
