The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently published a preliminary report on flight AS1282 operated by the US airline Alaska Airlines with a B-737 MAX 9 aircraft (register N704AL) which on 5 January had a bomb explode in mid-air. emergency tailgate (plug door). The document shows that the four latches that fastened the panel to the fuselage appeared to be missing.

"Whatever the final conclusion reached, Boeing is responsible for what happened. An event like this should not happen on a plane leaving our factory. We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers", he declared in recent hours Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun.

NTSB technicians claim that the panel, mounted on the MAX 9 aircraft in place of an optional emergency exit, could have "detached at any time". Normally the plug door is attached to the fuselage with four bolts, all attached via "stop fittings" at 12 different points. Today almost all of the 171 MAX 9s grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are flying again, but the inconvenience has generated a serious reputational crisis for the American manufacturer.

On the same topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.