The National Transportation Safety Board NTSB has released its final report on the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout. The report says Boeing failed to provide proper training and oversight, which led to the accident.
When the Investigators found that four bolts were missing in Alaska Airlines from the left mid exit door plug. This error wasn’t caught during Boeing’s safety checks. The company also failed to record who worked on the door plug and surrounding parts.
The blowout happened in January 2024, just six minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. The plane was heading to Ontario, California. The sudden decompression damaged the cabin, and items like phones and toys were sucked out. The aircraft safely returned to Portland. One flight attendant as well as 7 passengers were slightly hurt.
Alaska Airlines door plug blowout was built by Spirit AeroSystems. It was sent to Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington. Inspectors there found problems with rivets and removed the door plug for repairs. But Boeing didn’t follow proper steps when putting the plug back. They didn’t reinstall bolts correctly or document who did the work. The NTSB said if even one bolt had been replaced, the plug wouldn’t have blown off.
Boeing’s training for part removal was too informal. Many workers lacked experience, making it hard to catch mistakes or train others well.
The agency told Boeing to improve its design, review its risk process & train workers better. They must also create a clear system to track part removals.
The FAA was also blamed for poor enforcement. It missed ongoing problems in Boeing’s part removal system. The NTSB asked the FAA to change how it audits companies and keep audit records longer. It also recommended forming an outside panel to study Boeing’s safety culture.
