Boeing’s failure to properly train their manufacturing staff has been identified as a major factor in a mid-flight blowout incident on an Alaska Airlines flight, according to US investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released their analysis of the January 2024 incident, stating that inadequate staff guidance and procedures combined with insufficient federal oversight were the probable cause for the mishap. The incident, which involved a 737 MAX jetliner, occurred shortly after takeoff and resulted in a fuselage panel breaking free. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries and the pilots were able to safely land the plane in Portland, Oregon.
The incident prompted a brief grounding of the 737 MAX models involved and led to the US government capping the monthly production of these jets, affecting Boeing’s profitability. During a public meeting to present their findings, NTSB officials revealed that the issue originated from Boeing staff removing the left mid-exit door of the plane during maintenance without proper protocols in place. This step was not authorized or overseen correctly, and investigators found no evidence of a work order or proper reinstallation of the door. The NTSB previously reported that four bolts securing the panel were missing.
The NTSB’s draft finding, approved by board members at the meeting, states that the “probable cause” of the incident was due to “Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ failure to provide adequate training, guidance, and oversight necessary to ensure that manufacturing personnel could consistently and correctly comply with its parts removal process. ” In response to the incident, Boeing has implemented changes to their quality systems, including increasing training efforts and reducing work performed out of sequence, which can lead to production defects. The company also replaced its CEO last year and has acknowledged that improving their corporate culture will take time.
In regards to the NTSB’s report, Boeing stated that they are reviewing its findings. The NTSB has also directed recommendations at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), stating that their ineffective compliance enforcement and surveillance activities failed to identify and address the repetitive and systemic nonconformance issues associated with Boeing’s parts removal process. The investigation concluded that the FAA needs to improve their audit planning activities to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.