Investigation cites manufacturing and quality control failures after 737 MAX 9 panel incident in January 2024

NTSB said Tuesday it could not determine how the bulkhead covering a deactivated emergency door on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 became loose

Aircraft registration number N704AL suffered an incident on January 5 and has been at Portland Airport since then.

In February, the US civil aviation authority had urged the planemaker to develop a comprehensive action plan to avoid situations such as the door plug that came loose in flight on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9

President of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy stated that the manufacturer did not provide all the documents and information requested in the investigation

Preliminary report confirmed suspicions that the aircraft did not have the bolts that held the bulkhead that covers the place where an extra emergency exit is located in some versions of the jet

The forecast was made by the carrier after the FAA approved the aircraft's inspection and maintenance process. The US civil aviation agency halts the expansion of production of the 737 MAX family until it is proven to be safe

Anonymous whistleblower and outlet source claimed that employees at the Renton assembly line incorrectly reinstalled the fuselage panel of the Alaska Airlines jet that suffered an incident on January 5

Like the 737 MAX 9, the aircraft can also be configured with a plug port, used by operators that do not carry the maximum passenger capacity

Experts heard by The Seattle Times and an initial report from NTSB indicate signs that bolts have not been installed, which would explain why the piece that covers the emergency exit was disconnected from the airplane in flight