A picture of the plane in a factory in Renton, Washington, revealed the lack of bolts, the NTSB said.

“Photo documentation obtained from Boeing shows evidence of the left-hand MED plug closed with no retention hardware (bolts) in the three visible locations,” the report said, using an acronym for the middle exit door.

However, it was not clear at what stage in the manufacturing process the plane was in when the photo was taken.

The faulty plug was manufactured by Spirit AeroSystems Malaysia on March 24, 2023, and was received at Spirit AeroSystems Wichita on May 10, 2023, the report said. The plug was then installed and rigged on the Spirit AeroSystems Fuselage Line 8789 before it was shipped to Boeing on Aug. 20, 2023. The fuselage arrived at Boeing’s Renton facility on Aug. 31, 2023, according to the report.

In a statement Tuesday, Boeing said it appreciates the NTSB’s work and will review the findings “expeditiously” while continuing to cooperate with investigations by the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration.

“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun said in the statement. “An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers. We are implementing a comprehensive plan to strengthen quality and the confidence of our stakeholders. It will take significant, demonstrated action and transparency at every turn — and that is where we are squarely focused.”

The flight, carrying 177 people, left Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5 bound for Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California, when the door plug blew off, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft. Many passengers described hearing a “loud bang” shortly after takeoff. A photo from one passenger showed a panel missing from the side of the fuselage. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.

The FAA grounded all 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes operating in the U.S. amid the NTSB’s investigation. The FAA also said it was increasing its oversight of Boeing production and manufacturing.

In his testimony to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee on Tuesday, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker offered more details on the increased scrutiny now underway at Boeing.

“We’re proposing to expand the oversight approach to include both audits and inspection which is why we’re moving inspectors into the facilities,” Whitaker said. “We know what we need to do next, which is to have more on-the-ground presence to verify what’s going on.”

Read the full story originally published on nbcnews

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It is the first revenue flight for this model since the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Boeing jets three weeks ago following a door plug blowout on Alaska Airlines flight 1282.

Alaska Airlines COO Constance von Muehlen took the flight and sat in the seat next to the door plug, telling CNN she has full confidence in the aircraft.

Sarah Edgbert was not aware that the flight she was taking was on a 737 Max 9 plane until she got to her gate and saw news crews.

She said she felt anxious at first. “But then realizing it’s probably the safest plane out there right now, it’s been through lots of tests since then,” Edgbert said.

“I am not going to stop doing what I do,” Kent, who did not want to give his last name, said. “I am not going to change my habits for it, and I am going to be hoping that something bad doesn’t happen.”

Doug Bowman didn’t know that he’d be boarding a Max 9 plane until he was informed by CNN, but said he had “important things, engagements to get back to” in San Diego.

The flight left with a delay because the plane itself — tail number N929AK — was late arriving in Seattle. It is expected to land in San Diego around 9pm ET.

Alaska and United Airlines — the two US carriers operating this version of Boeing’s latest 737 generation — have been canceling hundreds of flights daily since the Max 9 was grounded. The airlines provided data that helped the FAA and Boeing refine inspection procedures to ensure the planes are safe to fly. The carriers started performing the actual inspections soon after the FAA issued instructions late Wednesday.

The first flight is one of three flights Alaska Airlines has scheduled on Max 9 jets for Friday. United Airlines said its first Max 9 flight is scheduled for Sunday — but that cleared Max 9s are available in the meantime as spares if another plane is unavailable.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said Thursday he is not concerned with passengers avoiding the Max 9.

“Our anticipation is when our Max 9 gets back up that we will fill our airplanes,” he said.

News Source: cnn.com

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