The head of the National Transportation Safety Board accused Boeing of failing to provide some key records requested in its ongoing investigation into the Alaska Airlines 737 Max mid-air cabin door emergency.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said investigators have sought the names of the 25 people who work on door stoppers at a Boeing facility in Renton, Washington, but have not received them from Boeing.
“It’s absurd that two months later we don’t have it,” Homendy said at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday.
Boeing insisted that it had initially provided the NTSB with some of the names of Boeing employees, including door specialists that it believed would have relevant information.
“We have now provided the full list of people on the 737 door team, in response to a recent request,” the planemaker said, adding that “if the door plug removal were not documented, there would be no documentation.” to share”.
NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said investigators have sought the names of the 25 people who work on door stoppers at a Boeing facility in Renton, Washington, but have not received them.
Bolts appear to be missing from the door plug that exploded on a Boeing 737 MAX during an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5.
“We will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the NTSB investigation,” Boeing’s statement added.
Earlier Wednesday, Homendy said she was frustrated.
“It’s not for lack of trying,” he said, adding that the information being sought includes the precise shift that worked on the improperly installed door stopper in September.
The agency is also seeking documentation related to the opening and closing of the door stopper and the removal of the missing key bolts.
Homendy said the NTSB has requested documentation related to the door stopper “numerous times over the past several months.”
Separately, he told Reuters that the NTSB plans to hold a multi-day investigative hearing on the MAX 9, likely in late summer, that will include testimony from staff at Boeing and airframe maker Spirit AeroSystems.
Homendy confirmed that inspections of all other MAX 9 aircraft in service did not find any other missing bolts.
The planemaker has rushed to explain and strengthen safety procedures since the January midair incident that led the FAA to ground the MAX 9 for several weeks.
The company has come under increased scrutiny from regulators and large airlines concerned about the quality of aircraft production.
The door stopper was recovered from the backyard of a home after it exploded on January 5.
Homendy said investigators began interviews at the Boeing plant in Renton on Sunday and will continue throughout the week. Currently, the NTSB does not know which employees removed the bolts and did not reinstall them, he said.
“The NTSB needs to interview employees,” he said. ‘This is not about blaming the NTSB. The only way to ensure safety is to find out what happened, what was done, what wasn’t done and what policies are in place.’
Homendy said he was not suggesting any wrongdoing on the part of Boeing.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, called it “absolutely unacceptable” that the NTSB was not receiving full cooperation from Boeing.
Homendy also confirmed that the MAX 9’s door stopper had moved during previous flights, citing marks on the door.
There were 154 previous Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 flights before the January 5 mid-air emergency.
“There was very small movement until it finally came to light,” Homendy said, adding that tests showed “you could see a small gap toward the end,” but it was unclear how noticeable it was.
The Federal Aviation Administration said this week that its audit of 737 MAX production at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems found multiple cases in which the companies allegedly failed to meet manufacturing quality control requirements.
The FAA has given Boeing 90 days to develop a quality improvement plan.