The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the alarming incident involving a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft that lost its door plug mid-flight. The NTSB stated that it is still unclear why four critical bolts were missing from the door plug, causing a blowout at 16,000 feet. The preliminary report suggests that the bolts were initially installed but subsequently removed, raising concerns about the possibility of a similar incident occurring again.
This investigation has primarily focused on the four bolts that hold the door plug in place on the side of the fuselage of the Max 9 aircraft. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have reported finding planes in their fleets with loose bolts. However, the NTSB discovered that Alaska Flight 1282 was missing all four bolts. The agency made this determination after recovering the door from a backyard in Portland and conducting a thorough inspection at a Washington D.C. laboratory.
