Wednesday is Day 2 of the NTSB hearing about the loss of a door plug from a Boeing 737 Max 9 in January after takeoff in Portland, Oregon.

According to Tuesday’s proceedings, sometimes the shoddy work was discovered and rectified before the aircraft was delivered. Sometimes it was not, as in the case of the 737 that was delivered to Alaska Airlines.

• READ MORE: NTSB Sanctions Boeing for Sharing Door Plug Blow Out Investigative Details

Boeing relies on contractor SpiritAeroSystems to build the fuselages. A representative from Spirit told the NTSB that the door plug for fuselage No. 8789, which was delivered to Alaska Airlines in fall 2023 and became ill-rated Flight 1282, was built at SpiritAeroSystems Malaysia and shipped to Wichita, Kansas, where it was installed in the fuselage, which was then shipped to the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington.

When it arrived at the factory, it was determined that the rivets in the assembly if the fuselage were substandard, and in order to replace them, the door plug had to be removed.

According to Elizabeth Lund, senior vice president/quality of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, when there is a need to replace a component such as a door plug, there is supposed to be a paperwork trail to indicate what needs to be done and who will do it, and then who has done it.

“We have still found no paperwork documenting the removal of 8789 left-hand door plug,” Lund testified to the NTSB on Tuesday.

Lund said the door plug was removed to replace a line of rivets that were not up to standard, and then it was put back into position so that the aircraft could be moved outside and its interior protected from the weather. The door plug was missing four crucial bolts.

• READ MORE: Boeing to Acquire Spirit AeroSystems in $8.3 Billion Deal

According to Boeing, under normal circumstances, the paperwork trail would let employees know the door plug had been reinstalled but the bolts had not been replaced. The paperwork would indicate the bolts had to be reinstalled before the aircraft could be delivered.

That was not the case here, according to testimony. The aircraft was delivered to Alaska Airlines in October 2023 and flew for approximately 100 flight cycles (takeoffs and landings) with the door plug kept in place by a series of small pins. There were two reports of crew noticing pressurization warning lights in the cockpit. The aircraft was supposed to go in for maintenance at the end of the duty day on January 5.

There were Spirit employees at the Boeing Renton plant, but according to testimony, communication between the Boeing and Spirit workers on the floor of the factory wasn’t good, and there was a lot of turnover at the facility because of low morale and early retirement of more experienced technicians due to COVID-19.

There were no serious physical injuries when the door plug blew out as the aircraft reached 16,000 feet, although seven passengers and a flight attendant were treated for injuries upon landing. The flight crew was praised for its skill, and aviation experts noted that had the aircraft been higher, the outcome would have been much worse.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy offered an apology to the passengers and flight crew on behalf of the agency.

The decision to conduct the two-day hearing into the event is unprecedented. Within hours of the blowout, Alaska Airlines grounded its 737 Max 9s, and the FAA followed suit grounding the world fleet for 19 days while inspections were done to door plugs.

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The aircraft, operating as Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, had just taken off from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon, and as it passed through 16,000 feet, the door plug blew off, resulting in rapid decompression. All 177 people on board the aircraft survived, although eight were injured by the loss of pressure that resulted in loose objects and parts of the cabin interior being turned into projectiles.

Last week the NTSB displayed the door plug that departed the aircraft. The door has been the subject of scrutiny in the agency’s materials lab.

• READ MORE: Boeing to Plead Guilty in DOJ 737 Max Crash Cases

The NTSB’s preliminary investigation revealed that four restraining bolts designed to hold the door plug in place were missing during the last flight. On two previous occasions the flight crews had reported a pressurization warning light had activated in the cockpit. Both times the crew notified maintenance about the issue. The aircraft was removed from over-water flights and scheduled for maintenance at the end of the day on January 5.

Boeing did not respond to FLYING’s inquiries by press time, although the aerospace manufacturer has been subpoenaed to appear at the hearing.

In response to the accident, the company initiated changes in the workplace to enhance safety culture that included the removal of several highly placed company officials. In March Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would step down at the end of the year. At the end of July Boeing announced Robert “Kelly” Ortberg will be the new CEO.

As previously reported by FLYING, the NTSB sanctioned Boeing, suggesting it had released nonpublic information into the investigation.

Alaska Airlines is a party to the investigation and offered a statement to FLYING.

• READ MORE: Boeing to Acquire Spirit AeroSystems in $8.3 Billion Deal

“We appreciate the importance of the investigative hearing being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and the ‘in-flight mid-exit door plug Separation,” Alaska Airlines said in the statement.  “This hearing is part of the NTSB’s established investigation to obtain additional information necessary to determine the facts, circumstances, and probable cause of the accident. Our participating safety and technical representatives remain committed to cooperating with the NTSB.”

The Alaska Airlines statement concludes that because this is an ongoing investigation, the company is limited in the details it can release.

“Safety is always our top priority at Alaska Airlines,” the company said. “We have full confidence in the safety of our operation and aircraft.”

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According to Boeing, Ortberg will begin in the position on August 8. He replaces Dave Calhoun, who earlier this year announced he was retiring. Calhoun had served as president and CEO since January 2020 and been on the Boeing board of directors since 2009.

Ortberg, 64, comes to the position with more than 35 years of experience in the aerospace industry. He recently served as president and CEO of Rockwell Collins, a position he held since 2013.

Ortberg was instrumental in the company’s integration with United Technologies and RTX. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa, has held numerous leadership positions in the aerospace industry, and is the former chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) board of governors.

• READ MORE: FAA Head Vows Increase in Boeing Oversight

“The board conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the last several months to select the next CEO of Boeing, and Kelly has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter,” said Steven Mollenkopf, chair of the board. “Kelly is an experienced leader who is deeply respected in the aerospace industry, with a well-earned reputation for building strong teams and running complex engineering and manufacturing companies. We look forward to working with him as he leads Boeing through this consequential period in its long history.”

The board also thanked Calhoun for his services, noting the past few years have been challenging for Boeing, beginning with the two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, respectively, resulting in the deaths of 346 people. The FAA ordered the grounding of the aircraft while the accidents were investigated. Boeing’s manufacturing and certification processes were called into question.

• READ MORE: Boeing Presents Quality Control Improvement Plan to FAA

The aerospace company announced it had worked through the issues and made changes to its manufacturing procedures to mitigate them. Then in January a 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines lost a door plug shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, resulting in rapid decompression and minor injuries.

Next week the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is scheduled to conduct an investigative hearing on the door plug loss.

In the meantime, the families of those killed in the crashes are campaigning for Boeing to face criminal prosecution and the U.S. Department of Justice to fine the company $24 billion, alleging criminal negligence and violating the 2021 agreement that allowed the company to previously avoid criminal charges.

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Several passengers aboard that aircraft—operating as Alaska Airlines Flight 1282—have received letters from the FBI, the Seattle Times reported.

Last week the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a criminal investigation into the January 5 door plug blowout. The FBI serves as the principal investigative arm of the DOJ.

• READ MORE: Additional Passengers Sue Alaska Airlines, Boeing

Mark Lindquist, a Seattle area attorney who represents 26 of the 177 people who were on board the airliner in litigation against Boeing and Alaska Airlines, confirmed the passengers have been contacted by the FBI because they have been identified as a possible victim of a crime. The FBI letter warned the passengers that the investigation could take several months.

“In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation,” anAlaska Airlines spokesperson told FLYING. “We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”

• READ MORE: NTSB Hearings Set in Boeing Door Plug Failure Probe

Said Steve Bernd, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Seattle field office, told FLYING: “The FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.” 

According to the Washington Post, the FBI letter did not name Boeing.

The aircraft manufacturer did not respond to FLYING’s  request for comment.

The door plug blowout occurred  shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon. There were no serious physical injuries, and the aircraft was able to return to the airport for landing.

The event prompted the immediate grounding of all 737 Max 9 aircraft, pending inspection of the door plugs. The Max 9s remained on the ground while Alaska Airlines and  United Airlines—the two carriers who operate the aircraft—conducted inspections of the door plugs.

The preliminary investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed the four bolts that were supposed to be installed to keep the door plug in place were missing. 

• READ MORE: ‘Changes…Need to Happen,’ Boeing Official Says

The Max 9 had performed more than 150 takeoffs and landings since it was delivered to Alaska Airlines in October 2023. The month preceding the incident, there were three reports of problems with the pressurization system. The airline restricted the aircraft from overwater routes and was allegedly preparing to bring it in for maintenance at the end of its duty day on January 5— the day of the blowout.

The FAA has since conducted an audit of Boeing and has given the manufacturing giant 90 days to demonstrate improved quality control procedures. According to Boeing, changes are already underway to improve the oversight of the production process.

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Testifying before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said that despite numerous requests, NTSB has not received the names of 25 people working at the company’s Renton, Washington, facility responsible for opening, closing, and removing the door plug involved in the January 5 event or documentation supporting their work.

“Wow,” responded the committee’s ranking member, Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who asked for the update. “Are you telling us that even two months later you still do not know who actually opened the door plug?”

“That’s correct—and it’s not for lack of trying,” Homendy said, pointing out that it’s not unusual when critical information is not provided immediately after an investigation.

“But for this one, we know for a fact that there is a team that deals with the doors in Renton. The manager has been out on medical leave, so we’ve not been able to interview that individual. We’ve asked for the names of the other 25 people and have not received the names. We’ve asked for the records with respect to what occurred. We asked what shift did it occur on. It’s absurd that two months later we don’t have that.”

• READ MORE: FAA Gives Boeing 90 Days to Improve

When asked by committee chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) whether Boeing has a policy of maintaining documents on work such as installing or removing doors and door plugs, Homendy said the NTSB has not been able to verify that with Boeing.

“And without that information, that raises concerns about quality assurance, quality management, and safety management systems within Boeing,” Homendy said.

Said Cantwell: “It’s beyond disappointing. We have an entire economy that depends on people getting this right, and it seems like this…is stymying your investigation.”

Shortly after the hearing ended, Boeing responded to FLYING’s request for comment with a statement asserting that the company “early in the investigation” provided NTSB with names of employees, including door specialists, that it believed had relevant information.

“We have now provided the full list of individuals on the 737 door team, in response to a recent request. With respect to documentation, if the door plug removal was undocumented there would be no documentation to share. We will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the NTSB’s investigation.”

Spirit AeroSystems Called Out

Homendy also testified to transparency problems with Spirit AeroSystems, the Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer of fuselages for the Boeing 737. Spirit has also been part of the investigation.

Referring to individuals that NTSB believed were employed by Spirit, “we were just informed last week that they’re actually not Spirit employees, they’re contractors,” she told the committee. “All three people work for three different entities.”

NTSB was not informed of that by Spirit. “That information was told to us through the individuals being interviewed that contacted us directly. We have engaged our attorney on this matter, just so that you’re aware,” she said.

Spirit representative Joe Buccino told FLYING that, as a party to the NTSB investigation, “we are unable to comment on any matters associated with the investigation. We are coordinating with the NTSB to address the chair’s comments regarding this matter.”

• READ MORE: Boeing Confirms Discussions About Acquiring Spirit AeroSystems

Cruz, who called the lack of response from Boeing “utterly unacceptable,” asked Homendy to inform the committee in writing whether or not the aerospace giant provides the information requested by NTSB by March 13.

“This investigation needs to get to the bottom of what occurred, and what caused the accident,” Cruz said.

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“I am announcing several leadership changes as we continue driving BCA’s [Boeing Commercial Airplane] enhanced focus on ensuring that every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements,” Deal said in the email. “Our customers demand, and deserve, nothing less.”

For starters, Ed Clark, the vice president of the 737 Max program in Renton, Washington, is leaving after approximately 18 years with Boeing. His departure comes just more than a month and a half after a Renton-built Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a door plug shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon.

According to the preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the bolts that were supposed to have been installed to hold the door plug in place had been removed in order to perform quality control maintenance at the Renton plant and were never reinstalled.

There were no serious injuries from the January 5 event. As the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 passed through 16,000 feet, the door plug departed the aircraft. The blowout tore up the cabin, ejected loose objects, and twisted seat frames. Since the incident Boeing and its suppliers have been under the microscope as questions are raised about quality control and oversight at the aerospace manufacturing giant’s commercial aircraft division.

• READ MORE: Alaska Airlines Grounds 737 Max Fleet Following Explosive Decompression

According to Deal’s email to employees, Katie Ringgold, who has enjoyed a long career at Boeing, including having spent the past four years as vice president of 737 delivery operations, will succeed Clark as vice president and general manager of the 737 program and Renton site.

“Ringgold’s replacement as vice president, 737 delivery operations, will be named soon,” Deal said.

The email goes on to name Elizabeth Lund to the new position of senior vice president for BCA quality.

“She will lead our quality control and quality assurance efforts, as well as the quality initiatives we recently announced, within BCA and the supply chain,” Deal said. “Elizabeth is uniquely qualified for this position, given her extensive leadership experience and knowledge of our airplane programs, production system, engineering, and supply chain.”

Lund will report to Deal and serve on the company’s executive council as chair of the Boeing Quality Operations Council.

Deal said Boeing’s Carole Murray, who has been with the company for 12 years as a key player in the 787 program as well as serving as vice president of BCA total quality, is “now on special assignment to help the company achieve a smooth transition and… focus on accelerating our quality initiatives.”

Mike Fleming, a leader in Boeing’s customer support division, is succeeding Lund as senior vice president and general manager of airplane programs. According to the company, Fleming is tasked with overseeing the 737, 767, 777/777X, and 787 production programs and will continue leading the customer support team with an emphasis on meeting operational needs while working to implement company quality initiatives to minimize rework and traveled work in Boeing’s factories.

Fleming will report to Deal and serve on the executive council as chair of the Program Management Operations Council. 

Don Ruhmann, formerly 787 chief project engineer, will succeed Fleming as vice president of development programs and will also report to Deal. Ruhmann’s replacement has yet to be named.

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“I think we’re also going to look at a culture survey that’s due at the end of the month and make a determination of how many folks we need on the ground in both places,” Whitaker told lawmakers on Tuesday during testimony before the House Transportation & Infrastructures’ aviation subcommittee.

“We haven’t made that determination, but I do anticipate we’ll want to keep people on the ground there. We don’t know how many yet, but we do think that presence will be warranted.”

Whitaker said the agency has 20 inspectors at Boeing facilities and “half a dozen” at Spirit.

The increased presence at Boeing, Whitaker said, “is to allow us to have direct conversations with employees about pressures they might be feeling or instructions they might be getting, and what incentives they’re dealing with.”

He also said Boeing has been informed that the FAA will not grant production expansion of 737 Max units “until we’re satisfied that quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.”

The FAA’s ramped-up oversight of Boeing and Spirit, a key Boeing supplier, was initiated in the aftermath of the January 5 incident in which a mid-cabin door plug blew out of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The 737-9 Max had been en route from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon, to Ontario, California (KONT). Only minor injuries were sustained as a result of the accident.

• READ MORE: Additional Passengers Sue Alaska Airlines, Boeing

Asked about the most recent 737 Max setback involving incorrectly improperly drilled holes in fuselages built at Spirit’s Wichita, Kansas, facility and shipped to Boeing’s Renton, Washington, plant for final assembly by Boeing, Whitaker told lawmakers that the FAA is working with Boeing to understand what happened.

“These are small rivets that hold a window in place,” he said. “We know it’s not [built] to compliance, but we want to understand why it has not been manufactured per design. Then we’ll see what corrective actions need to be taken to repair the windows and when that has to happen.”

Whitaker Pushed on Mandatory Pilot Retirement

While not a member of the aviation subcommittee, U.S. Representative Troy Nehls (R-Texas) was provided wide discretion by committee leadership to grill Whitaker on his agency’s alleged opposition to legislation raising the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 65 to 67.

Nehls read from a letter the FAA sent Monday to the Senate Commerce Committee that Nehls interpreted as opposing implementing the legislation—if Congress were to pass it—without conducting studies beforehand.

“Our official position is that we don’t have a position on the retirement age, but if it changes, we’d like to have data to support the change,” Whitaker said.

• READ MORE: House Committee Votes to Push Back Pilot Retirement Age 2 Years

But Nehls pointed out that pilots for Part 135 operators are already flying past age 65.

In addition, he said, other countries, including Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, all allow pilots to fly past the age of 65 with no evidence of safety issues. “Why don’t you just call them and ask them [about their safety records],” Nehls said.

“My intent [in sending the letter to the Senate] was to oppose the legislation but to identify issues around international compliance and data on what it means to raise the age,” Whitaker said.

The Senate is expected this week to take up the provision to raise the retirement age as part of a markup of the 2023 FAA reauthorization, which the chamber failed to pass by the September deadline. The House passed its version of the 2023 reauthorization in July.

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The 19-page report, released Tuesday by the NTSB, noted the four bolts that are supposed to hold the door plug in place were removed for maintenance at the factory before delivery of the jet but never reinstalled. The aircraft had flown 510 hours without having the door plug properly secured.

• READ MORE: NTSB Reports No Bolts in Blown Out 737 Max Door

The Details

On January 5 shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 lost the mid-exit door (MED) plug as the aircraft climbed through 16,000 feet. The loss of the door plug resulted in violent decompression, but no serious injuries to the 177 persons on board. The flight crew declared an emergency and returned to Portland with a refrigerator-sized hole in the side of the aircraft.

“An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory,” Calhoun said. “We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers. We are implementing a comprehensive plan to strengthen quality and the confidence of our stakeholders. It will take significant, demonstrated action and transparency at every turn—and that is where we are squarely focused.”

In a statement to the media, Boeing outlined immediate action items it is undertaking to strengthen quality.

“First and foremost, the company has implemented a control plan to ensure all 737-9 mid-exit door plugs are installed according to specifications by instituting new inspections of the door plug assembly and similar structures at our supplier’s factory and on Boeing’s production line, and adding signage and protocol to fully document when the door plug is opened or removed in our factory, ensuring it is reinstalled and inspected prior to delivery,” the statement said.

“Boeing is also taking steps to improve overall quality and stability across the 737 production system. These steps include layering additional inspections into the Boeing supply chain,  more communication and collaboration with suppliers on production enhancements, performing more work on the aircraft at their assigned positions, setting aside multiple days for 737 teams to focus on implement quality improvements, adding independent assessment to bolster the quality management system at Boeing Commercial Airplanes by a highly experienced safety expert.

“In addition to these Boeing actions, we are opening our factory to 737 customers to conduct their own additional reviews and will fully and transparently support the FAA’s investigation, audit, and oversight actions.”

Said Calhoun: “This added scrutiny—from ourselves, from our regulator, and from our customers—will make us better. It’s that simple.”  

The NTSB is continuing its investigation.

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According to a statement from the FAA, the agency has “approved a thorough inspection and maintenance process that must be performed” on all 171 grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The statement notes that “upon successful completion, the aircraft will be eligible to return to service.”

Within hours of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 losing a door plug shortly after an early evening takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon, the airline grounded its 737 Max 9 fleet as a precaution. The model makes up approximately 20 percent of Alaska’s fleet.

FAA Administer Mike Whitaker noted that the agency grounded the 737 Max 9 on a national scale within hours of the event and “made clear this aircraft would not go back into service until it was safe.”

Whitaker continued: “The exhaustive, enhanced review our team completed after several weeks of information gathering gives me and the FAA confidence to proceed to the inspection and maintenance phase. However, let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing. We will not agree to any request from Boeing for an expansion in production or approve additional production lines for the 737 Max until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.”

In addition, the FAA has “ramped up oversight of Boeing and its suppliers”.

New Instructions from the FAA

Per the statement from the FAA, the agency reviewed data compiled from 40 inspections of grounded aircraft and used it to create a detailed set of inspection and maintenance instructions. It also convened a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) “made up of safety experts [that] scrutinized and approved the inspection and maintenance process.”

The agency stressed that “following the completion of the enhanced maintenance and inspection process on each aircraft, the door plugs on the 737 Max 9 will be in compliance with the original design which is safe to operate….This aircraft will not operate until the process is complete and compliance with the original design is confirmed.”

Per the FAA, the enhanced maintenance process requires:

• Inspection of specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings
• Detailed visual inspections of left and right mid-cabin exit door plugs and dozens of associated components
• Retorquing fasteners
• Correcting any damage or abnormal conditions

FAA Holding Boeing Accountable

The FAA is also increasing oversight of Boeing’s production lines.

“The quality assurance issues we have seen are unacceptable,” Whitaker said. “That is why we will have more boots on the ground closely scrutinizing and monitoring production and manufacturing activities.” 

Increased oversight activities include: 

• Capping expanded production of new Boeing 737 Max aircraft to ensure accountability and full compliance with required quality control procedures
• Launching an investigation scrutinizing Boeing’s compliance with manufacturing requirements. The FAA will use the full extent of its enforcement authority to ensure the company is held accountable for any non-compliance.
• Aggressively expanding oversight of new aircraft with increased floor presence at all Boeing facilities
• Closely monitoring data to identify risk
• Launching an analysis of potential safety-focused reforms around quality control and delegation

The agency will continue to work closely with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it continues the investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. One of the key questions to be answered is if the bolts that are designed to hold the door plug in place were installed correctly, if at all, at the time of the accident.

• READ MORE: NTSB Identifies Part That Failed on 737 Max 9

FAA Waiting for Boeing Safety Review

In early 2023, the agency convened 24 experts to review Boeing’s safety management processes with an eye toward how they affect the aircraft manufacturing giant’s safety culture.

Per the FAA statement, “the review panel included representatives from NASA, the FAA, labor unions, independent engineering experts, air carriers, manufacturers with delegated authority, legal experts and others.”

The panel reviewed thousands of documents and interviewed more than 250 Boeing employees, managers, and executives, Boeing supplier employees, and FAA employees, and visited several Boeing sites as well as Spirit AeroSystems’ facility in Wichita, Kansas.

The report is expected to be released in a few weeks. The FAA will be using the information to determine if additional action is required.

In response to the FAA, Boeing released a statement: “We will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA and follow their direction as we take action to strengthen safety and quality at Boeing. We will also work closely with our airline customers as they complete the required inspection procedures to safely return their 737-9 airplanes to service.”

• READ MORE: Boeing to Shut Down Facility for a Day

In addition, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced she will conduct congressional hearings to investigate the alleged “safety lapses” that may have led to the loss of the door plug from the ill-fated flight.

“[The public and workers deserve] a culture of leadership at Boeing that puts safety ahead of profits,” Cantwell said.

Airlines Reply

According to aviation data provider Cirium.com, there are approximately 215 Max 9 aircraft in use around the world. Of those, 79 belong to United Airlines and 65 to Alaska Airlines. Both airlines experienced flight cancellations and delays following the FAA’s grounding of the jets.

During the grounding the airlines complied with an FAA mandate to inspect their fleets of Max 9s, and the data collected from these inspections has been evaluated by the agency and used to develop its orders for final inspection of the aircraft, which is required to return them to airworthy status.

• READ MORE: United Airlines Says It’s Disappointed in Boeing

In a statement, Alaska Airlines noted “each of our aircraft will only return to service once the rigorous inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy, according to the FAA requirements. We have 65 737-9 Max in our fleet. The inspections are expected to take up to 12 hours for each plane.”

Alaska Airlines predicts the first of the Max 9s will resume flying on Friday, “with more planes added every day as inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy.”

Toby Enqvist, United’s executive vice president and chief operations officer, said the airline began inspection of its Max 9 fleet on January 12. In a message to United employees, Enqvist outlined the process, which includes removing the inner panel, two rows of seats, and the sidewall liner, enabling workers to access the doors and “inspect and verify the proper installation of the door and frame hardware, as well as the area around the door and seal.”

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In an internal communication sent to employees of Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes division, division CEO Stan Deal said this was the first of many quality stand-down days for the factories involved in the 737 program.

“Production, delivery, and support efforts will pause for a day, so teammates can take part in working sessions focused on quality,” Deal said. “The sessions allow all teammates who touch the airplane to ‘pause, evaluate what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and make recommendations for improvement.’

“During the stand-downs, teammates will participate in hands-on learning, reflection, and collaboration to identify where quality and compliance can be improved and create actionable plans that will be tracked to closure.”

Quality Stand-Downs will be held over the next several weeks at other Boeing factories and fabrication sites to include all airplane programs.

According to the Seattle Times, a whistleblower at the Renton plant allegedly has paperwork that claims the door plug was removed for repair from the fuselage of the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 that lost the plug in flight, then reinstalled without the required four bolts that hold the door in place. If the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation confirms this, the blame for the event would fall on Boeing, rather than Spirit AeroSystems, the makers of the 737 fuselages.

• READ MORE: Alaska Airlines Grounds 737 Max Fleet Following Explosive Decompression

The aircraft was delivered to Alaska Airlines in October 2023. It did not have enough time in the air for it to be subject to a so-called “heavy maintenance” cycle.

The door plug was found in the backyard of a Portland, Oregon, area schoolteacher. It has been sent to the NTSB laboratory in Washington, D.C., for analysis. Investigators are trying to determine if the four bolts that are supposed to hold the door plug in place were installed correctly.

In the meantime, the entire fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft remains grounded and subject to extra inspections. The Max 9 is primarily used by United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Both carriers are having to cancel flights and adjust schedules to make up for the loss of aircraft while they continue to closely inspect their fleets.

According to Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci, a close inspection of the 737 Max 9—which makes up 20 percent of the company’s fleet—uncovered loose bolts in many of the airplanes.

“I am more than frustrated and disappointed,” Minicucci told NBC News. “I am angry. This happened to Alaska Airlines. It happened to our guests and happened to our people. And my demand on Boeing is, what are they going to do to improve their quality programs in-house?”

• READ MORE: NTSB Identifies Part That Failed on 737 Max 9

Boeing and Alaska are facing lawsuits from passengers who were on board Flight 1282 on January 5. As the aircraft with the gaping hole in its side descended into Portland, several thought they were going to die and sent farewell messages to their loved ones via text.

Among the concerns were that the airliner had three maintenance write-ups regarding the pressurization system, but the aircraft was permitted to remain in service as long as it did not fly over water.

What Is a Door Plug?

The door plug covers a space that can be turned into an emergency exit if the operator of the aircraft desires. The outline of the door plug can be seen from the exterior of the airplane. Inside, if the emergency exit option is not selected, the space looks like a bulkhead in the fuselage with windows.

The fuselages for the 737 are made by Spirit AeroSystems, which is also investigating its quality-control measures. In December, two former employees at the Wichita, Kansas, facility filed a class-action suit alleging that a lack of quality control was endangering the company.

FLYING will continue to follow this story and post updates as they are available.

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