US Department of Justice Investigates Alaska Airlines Mid-Air Door Panel Blowout
The US Department of Justice is currently conducting an investigation into a mid-air door panel blowout that occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight two months ago, leaving passengers terrified. The airline has assured the public that they are fully cooperating with the investigation and do not believe they are the target of it.
This incident has put Boeing under scrutiny once again, as they have been facing a civil investigation by the US Federal Aviation Administration since January. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that four bolts meant to secure the door panel were missing, raising concerns about Boeing’s manufacturing and quality control processes.
The FAA conducted a six-week audit into Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, and discovered multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. Both Boeing and the Department of Justice have yet to comment on the matter. It is worth noting that Boeing has been operating under a deferred prosecution agreement with the justice department since 2021, following a criminal charge of fraud related to a design flaw on the 737 Max aircraft. This flaw caused two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the deaths of 346 people.
The three-year agreement between Boeing and prosecutors stated that if the manufacturer continued to adhere to a compliance program established after the crashes, the fraud charge would be dismissed. However, the Alaska Airlines blowout occurred just two days before the probationary period expired, leaving Boeing uncertain about the outcome of the investigation. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in January, Boeing disclosed that the justice department was assessing whether they fulfilled their obligations under the deferred prosecution agreement.
Boeing faced further criticism this week when Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, testified to the US Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that the company had not provided requested documentation for the investigation into the door panel blowout. In response, Boeing admitted in a letter to Senator Maria Cantwell, the committee’s chair, that they did not possess some of the requested documentation. The NTSB’s preliminary report indicated that the door panel arrived damaged at Boeing’s factory, necessitating repairs. Documentation of such work is typically required for safety purposes, but Boeing claimed that they could not find any such documentation and suggested that it may not have been created when the door plug was opened.
As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact Boeing’s relationship with regulators and the public. The company has already faced significant backlash due to the 737 Max crashes, and this latest incident raises concerns about their manufacturing processes and compliance with safety regulations. Passengers and aviation authorities alike will be closely watching the outcome of the investigations to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.