Washington State in the United States faces a mystery as crash investigators accuse Boeing Co. officials of uncooperativeness during a probe into a 737 Max 9 incident in January where a panel flew off. Boeing responded by providing names of employees who may have worked on the jet and insisted on assisting with the investigation. However, a significant detail emerged, suggesting that no documents exist at Boeing to explain how the airplane left the factory missing bolts that would have prevented the accident.
At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed frustration over not receiving all the necessary documents and information from Boeing two months after the incident. The NTSB found that four bolts meant to hold a fuselage panel in place on the Max 9 were missing, leading to an explosive decompression above Portland during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Boeing’s pledge of transparency has been called into question as investigators focus on 25 Boeing workers assigned to 737 doors, but the company had not provided their names for interview. Boeing pushed back, stating that they have now provided the requested information to the NTSB. The NTSB believes the work on the 737 door panel occurred in mid-September but has yet to obtain specific information regarding the manufacturing lapse.
Senator Maria Cantwell criticized Boeing’s lack of cooperation, prompting her to demand additional information from the company within 48 hours. The NTSB is conducting interviews at the Renton, Washington factory where the plane was built and discovered that three workers on the plane were contractors, not employees of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy clarified that previous reports of improperly tightened bolts on other 737 Max planes were unrelated to the Alaska Airlines incident. The US Justice Department is scrutinizing the incident, potentially leading to criminal prosecution for Boeing. The FAA is investigating whether Boeing failed to comply with design requirements and has increased oversight of Boeing’s assembly lines. These developments have put Boeing under intense scrutiny and pressure as they navigate the aftermath of the Alaska Airlines incident.