Recently, Boeing disclosed that missing paperwork may have been the root cause of a concerning incident involving a door plug on a 737 Max Alaska Airlines flight in January. The lack of documentation led to the omission of four crucial bolts needed to secure the door plug, ultimately resulting in the plug blowing off during the flight. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but the incident has raised significant concerns about the quality of work along Boeing's assembly lines.
Boeing revealed that the missing bolts were a result of a breakdown in communication between different groups of employees tasked with working on the plane. The initial team removed the door plug to address rivet issues but failed to document the removal or the need for bolt installation. Subsequently, another team reinstalled the plug without realizing the bolts were missing, assuming that the necessary paperwork would prompt someone else to complete the task.
