Video of work on Boeing door plug has been lost, U.S. investigators say
Missing records will 'complicate' investigation, transportation board says
The head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Wednesday investigators still do not know who worked on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 door plug involved in an Alaska Airlines mid-air emergency and that video footage was overwritten.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a letter to senators that investigators sought security camera footage when the door plug was opened and closed in September but were informed the material was overwritten.
"The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB's investigation moving forward," Homendy said.
The NTSB said previously that four key bolts were missing from the door plug that blew out on the plane.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 had 171 passengers and six crew on board and was flying at an altitude of more than 4,800 metres when a door plug — a panel in place of an optional exit door located near the rear of the aircraft — ripped off about 20 minutes into the Jan. 5 evening flight from Portland, Ore., to Ontario, Calif.
Fortunately, the two seats next to the panel were vacant and there were no serious injuries, though several passengers did require medical attention after the pilots made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.
Last week, Homendy said she spoke to Boeing CEO David Calhoun "and asked for the names of the people who performed the work. He stated he was unable to provide that information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being performed."
Boeing did not immediately comment.
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the mid-air emergency.
On Friday, Boeing said it believes required documents detailing the removal of the door plug during production were never created.
Boeing said its working hypothesis was "the documents required by our processes were not created when the door plug was opened."
Homendy last week criticized what she called Boeing's lack of co-operation and failure to disclose some documents, including on the door plug opening and closing, as well as the names of 25 workers on the door crew at the 737 factory in Renton, Wash. After Homendy's comments, Boeing provided the 25 names.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the MAX 9 for several weeks in January, barred Boeing from increasing the MAX production rate and ordered Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues" within 90 days.
Separately, the NTSB wrote Boeing on Wednesday reminding them they face restrictions on information they can release publicly as a party to the investigation.
"Releasing investigative information without context is misleading to Congress and the public and undermines both the investigation and the integrity of the NTSB," Homendy wrote.
With files from Nick Logan