NTSB Schedules 20-Hour Hearings on Boeing 737 MAX Safety

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Wednesday that it has scheduled 20 hours of hearings over two days to examine the January Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in-flight door plug emergency and to review oversight by U.S. safety regulators. Scheduled for August 6-7, the hearings will focus on Boeing 737 MAX manufacturing and inspections, FAA oversight of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, and the events leading to the door plug's removal in 2023. Additionally, the hearing will review safety and quality management systems.

In January, a door panel detached mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, forcing an emergency landing and exposing passengers to a 16,000-foot altitude. This prompted an FAA mandate to ground all MAX 9 airplanes temporarily for safety checks. The agency has barred Boeing from expanding MAX production during the review of the company's practices. Notably, four key bolts were missing from the door plug that detached at high altitude. The Justice Department has initiated a criminal investigation into the incident.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told Reuters in April that Alaska, Boeing, and Spirit witnesses are expected to testify. However, the NTSB recently warned Boeing it could lose its status as a party to the probe due to rule violations involving non-public information leaks and speculation. As a result, Boeing will not have access to probe information during the hearing, and unlike other parties, the company will be barred from questioning other participants. Elizabeth Lund, Boeing's senior vice president of quality, is expected to testify. The full investigation is anticipated to take approximately one year to 18 months to complete.

(With inputs from agencies.)