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Boeing still doesn’t know how a plane missing four bolts was sent to Alaska Airlines — “Could this happen again? Sure”: NTSB

The door plug blowout on a 737 Max has brought all types of unwanted attention and legal problems to Boeing since the January 5 Alaska Airlines flight. This week Boeing tried its best to put the best possible face on its actions.

The NTSB called a rare public hearing to examine the near tragedy on the January 5 Alaska Air flight in which a door plug blew out, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane – and in Boeing’s already battered reputation. “Is it just me or are we seeing a game of whack-a-mole every five to ten years on safety?” said board member J. Todd Inman, citing past agreements between Boeing and the FAA that were supposed to fix quality problems. To avoid the problem in the future, Boeing is considering adding a warning light in the cockpit that would alert pilots if the door plug moves even a little bit – well before it could blow out in the kind of accident that occurred on the Alaska Air flight.

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