PORTLAND, Oregon — Boeing’s CEO, David Calhoun, acknowledged that they made a mistake after a door plug blew off a 737 MAX 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5. The flight, No. 1282, had been forced to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport (PDX).
Calhoun also called for full transparency from Boeing in the matter at the company's staff-wide safety meeting Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed the four bolts that prevent the door plug from moving were no longer attached to the recovered plug or the plane.
So far, it's unclear if they were ever there.
“We found that both guide tracks on the plug were fractured. We have not yet recovered the four bolts that restrain it from its vertical movement, and we have not yet determined if they existed there. That will be determined when we take that plug to our lab in Washington, D.C.,” said NTSB aerospace engineer Clint Crookshanks.
The door plug was retrieved by NTSB investigators Monday morning in the Cedar Mill area from the backyard of Portland science teacher Bob Sauer. The door plug was found intact on the ground, with a white piece of fuselage found on one of the trees on his property.
Meanwhile, both Alaska and United airlines said they've found loose bolts connected to door plugs on other MAX 9 aircraft, something that may give investigators a clue and regulators concerns.
For now, all MAX 9 aircraft remain grounded, with an industry expert interested in what happens once inspections are complete.
“I want to see how quickly not only the FAA, but Boeing reacts to it, and plans to correct the situation, especially if it's recommended or it looks like it needs to be reengineered, how quickly that will take place,” said Gregory Feith, a former senior air safety investigator with the NTSB.
This much is clear: Something went terribly wrong with Alaska Airlines Flight No. 1282 when the plug that covered an unused rear emergency exit blew out.
Kelly Bartlett was sitting three rows ahead of the blowout. She had the teenager who was sitting in the row where the gaping hole developed joined her, after he lost his shirt due to the rapid depressurization of the cabin.
“I couldn't imagine the terror of what that must've been feeling like because I wasn't in that row, and I was so scared when we heard that boom and the masks came down. That was scary alone, so I cannot imagine what he or his mom are going through,” said Kelly Bartlett.
Once safely on the ground, the relieved teen, Jack, suggested a selfie, to mark the harrowing event.
While NTSB continues its investigation of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tweeted on Tuesday that it is still waiting for Boeing to get airlines instructions for fully inspecting the entire MAX 9 fleet.