Alaska Airlines Crew Describes 'Chaos' Following Mid-Air Door Blowout

Washington: US transport safety officials have released thousands of pages of documents related to a mid-air emergency involving a Boeing 737 Max 9, detailing the chaotic moments following the blowout of an unused door. The release comes as part of a two-day National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing investigating the January 5 incident on an Alaska Airlines flight.

As per reports, during the hearing, Boeing announced plans to implement design changes aimed at preventing similar occurrences in the future. This incident marks another significant crisis for the US aviation giant in recent years.

More than 3,000 pages of documents, including crew testimonies, were released prior to the hearing. The plane's crew described a violent decompression caused by a panel detaching mid-flight. The co-pilot recounted a "loud bang," and a sensation of their head being pushed into the head-up display, while a flight attendant described the chaos, noting, "Masks came down, I saw the galley curtain get sucked towards the cabin."

The hearing also saw Boeing executives questioned about the aircraft's manufacturing process and the missing paperwork identifying who worked on the door plug before the blowout. An NTSB preliminary report indicated that a repair at a Boeing facility left the panel with four missing bolts that should have kept it secure.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy criticized Boeing's safety culture, emphasizing the need for improvement. Boeing's Senior Vice President for Quality, Elizabeth Lund, mentioned that the company is developing design changes to ensure the door plug cannot be closed unless it is securely fastened. The identities of those responsible for the door plug issue remain unknown, but two workers potentially involved are currently on paid administrative leave.

The incident has further damaged Boeing's reputation, leading to a two-week grounding of Max 9 planes globally, a halt in production increases, an FBI investigation, and a management shakeup. Additionally, Boeing recently agreed to plead guilty to a fraud charge related to two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max planes over five years ago.

In its latest financial update, Boeing reported a loss of 1.4 billion dollars between April and June. The company has appointed aerospace veteran and engineer Robert K. 'Kelly' Ortberg as its new chief executive.