Boeing has announced plans to implement design changes to prevent future incidents similar to the one that occurred on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January. This incident has created significant challenges for the aircraft manufacturer, which is now facing its second major crisis in recent years.
Elizabeth Lund, Boeing’s Senior Vice President for Quality, stated on Tuesday that the company is working on design changes expected to be implemented within the next year, followed by retrofitting across the entire fleet. Investigations have revealed that the plug door on the new Alaska MAX 9 was missing four critical bolts.
“They are working on design changes that will ensure the door plug cannot close if there is an issue until it is properly secured,” Lund said during the first day of a two-day hearing held by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C. Her comments were in response to questions regarding why Boeing did not use a warning system for the door plug, which they typically include on standard doors and alerts when not fully secured.
The Alaska Airlines incident has severely damaged Boeing’s reputation, leading to the grounding of the MAX 9 for two weeks, a production ban from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a criminal investigation, and the departure of several key executives from the company. Boeing has pledged to significantly improve quality.
The NTSB has also released 3,800 pages of factual reports and interviews from the ongoing investigation. Boeing has acknowledged that there is no documentation for the removal of the four missing bolts. Lund shared that Boeing has now placed clear warning signs on the door plug upon its arrival at the factory, with messages such as “Do Not Open.”
A flight crew member recounted the moment of terror when the door plug flew out: “And then, all of a sudden, there was just a really loud bang and a lot of air, as if the door burst open.” Lund and Doug Ackerman, Vice President of Supplier Quality at Boeing, testified in court on Tuesday. Ackerman noted that Boeing has 1,200 active suppliers for its commercial aircraft and 200 quality inspectors.
Boeing indicated that they are currently producing “in the 20s” per month for the MAX, which is significantly lower than the 38 units they have been approved to produce. “We’re working our way back up. But at one point, we were down to as few as eight,” Lund told the NTSB.
Terry George, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Boeing’s program at Spirit AeroSystems, and Scott Grabon, Senior Director of 737 Quality at Spirit, which produces the fuselage for the MAX, also testified on that day. Last month, Boeing entered into an agreement to buy Spirit AeroSystems back for $4.7 billion in stock.
The hearing covers topics such as 737 production and inspections, safety management, quality control systems, and FAA oversight. In June, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stated that the agency had been “too complacent” in its oversight of Boeing prior to January. FAA employees mentioned to the NTSB that Boeing’s staff did not always follow the required processes.
Jonathan Arnold, an FAA aviation inspector, noted that he observed systematic issues at Boeing’s factory, where workers were not following instructions: “It seems like there is a systematic problem with deviation from their instructions.” Lund admitted that faulty fuselages had been delivered to Boeing prior to the January incident but emphasized that the faults were manageable.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed frustration with Boeing, stating: “This is not a PR campaign for Boeing,” urging the company to clearly outline its policies before the incident. Interviews also addressed concerns regarding factory culture, which has been criticized in congressional investigations.
Boeing’s performance executive Carole Murray described various issues with the fuselages from Spirit AeroSystems leading up to the incident, including deficiencies in sealing materials. Michelle Delgado, a mechanic who worked as a contractor for Boeing, revealed that the workload is high, and employees work long hours to meet demands.
Lastly, the NTSB mentioned that Boeing had violated investigation rules when Lund provided confidential information to the media and speculated on potential causes. Last month, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal conspiracy charge and pay a fine of at least $243.6 million to resolve an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice related to two fatal 737 MAX crashes.