Investigation Launched into Boeing 737 Max Panel Blowoff

A Boeing 737 Max panel that blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight has become central to a National Transportation Safety Board's investigation. Displayed in Washington, D.C., the panel's blowout circumstances, including missing bolts and manufacturing details, are being scrutinized. The NTSB aims to provide safety recommendations after a two-day hearing.

A panel that blew off a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight was displayed for the media Tuesday at the National Transportation Safety Board's laboratory in Washington, D.C. This panel will be a key part of a two-day investigative hearing set for next week.

Federal investigators have been examining the mid-exit door plug since it blew off during a January 5 flight, when the plane was at 16,000 feet and climbing toward cruise altitude. It was discovered in the backyard of a home near Portland, Oregon.

A preliminary report from the NTSB indicated that four bolts used to secure the part to the jetliner were missing when the plane rolled out of a Boeing factory near Seattle, before being delivered to Alaska Airlines. Door plugs are panels that seal holes meant for extra doors when the number of seats is insufficient to require more emergency-evacuation exits. From inside the plane, they appear as regular windows.

The door plugs are only intended to be opened for maintenance and inspections. The one on the Alaska Airlines plane was installed at a Spirit AeroSystems plant in Wichita, Kansas but was removed at the Boeing plant so workers could fix damaged rivets. The NTSB states it will use information gathered from the hearing to complete its investigation and make safety recommendations.

(With inputs from agencies.)