The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States is set to hold a hearing on Tuesday (June 24) to determine the cause of the incident involving a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight in January 2024, where a cockpit door broke open in mid-air.
During the meeting on Tuesday to determine possible causes, the NTSB criticized Boeing’s safety culture and negligence, pointing out the lack of four key bolts on the cockpit door of a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 aircraft.
NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy stated that this accident could have been entirely preventable, as Boeing should have addressed unauthorized production issues long before. These work-related problems were identified in multiple internal audits, reports, quality alerts, and regulatory compliance at Boeing.
The investigation by NTSB also revealed inadequate oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Both Boeing and FAA should have been aware of the safety defects that led to this incident,” Homendy said. “The fact that no one died or was seriously injured is simply miraculous.”
Homendy commended Boeing’s new CEO Kelly Ortberg, but noted that “he has his own work cut out for him, with many challenges to overcome, which will take time.”
The January 2024 incident led to criminal investigations and the resignation of Boeing’s CEO.
NTSB had previously stated that Boeing failed to provide any documentation on how to remove and reinstall the door plug on the 737 MAX 9 aircraft during production. They also could not clarify which employees were involved in these operations.
Then-FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker criticized the agency in June 2024 for being too lenient in overseeing Boeing. He subsequently increased the number of inspectors at Boeing and one of its primary suppliers, Spirit AeroSystems.
On March 10, 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all 149 passengers and 8 crew members. Earlier in October 2018, a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX lost control shortly after takeoff, plunging into the sea and causing the deaths of 189 people on board.
On January 5, 2024, an Alaska Airlines flight took off from Portland International Airport en route to Ontario International Airport. Soon after takeoff, an exit door panel detached from the aircraft, causing rapid decompression. The plane had to return to Portland International Airport, but fortunately, there were no casualties. This incident severely damaged Boeing’s reputation and put the company in a major crisis.
Following the incident, the Department of Justice initiated a criminal investigation and announced that Boeing had failed to comply with a deferred prosecution agreement reached in 2021, in which Boeing committed to improving its internal safety controls. Then-Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced his resignation months after the incident.
The incident also led to the grounding of the MAX 9 for two weeks, with FAA imposing a monthly limit of 38 aircraft for MAX production to ensure quality inspections met standards, a restriction that remains in place to this day.
Last July, Boeing also agreed to plead guilty to criminal conspiracy to defraud in relation to the two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX in Indonesia and Ethiopia. However, the company reached an agreement with the Department of Justice last month to avoid prosecution.
（This article was referenced from Reuters.）