OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
Boeing is refusing to provide key information to the NTSB investigating an Alaska Airlines flight that lost part of its cabin wall in January.
At a Senate hearing, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Boeing has not disclosed the names of people who worked on the faulty door or documentation of its repair, despite numerous requests over two months.
She called Boeing’s lack of cooperation “absurd” and raising concerns over safety systems.
An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing last night after a panel blew out shortly after takeoff. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported.
The airline has temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft. pic.twitter.com/tgnGe8thrI
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) January 6, 2024
“Boeing has not provided us with the documents and information that we have requested numerous times over the past few months, specifically with respect to opening, closing, and removal of the door,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
“It’s absurd that two months later we don’t have that,” she added. “Without that information, that raises concerns about quality assurance, quality management, [and] safety management systems.”
Sen. Ted Cruz said Boeing’s refusal to cooperate fully with the investigation is “unacceptable.”
“The parties who are being investigated by NTSB need to cooperate fully, and Congress expects them to cooperate fully because you have an obligation to the American public to get to the bottom of what happened,” Cruz said.
Retired expert Ira Astrachan said the NTSB should focus more on Boeing’s aircraft approval processes than specific workers.
Boeing claims it provided names and will share documentation, but the NTSB says key information is still missing months after the incident.
“Early in the investigation, we provided the NTSB with names of Boeing employees, including door specialists, who we believed would have relevant information,” Boeing said. “We have now provided the full list of individuals on the 737 door team, in response to a recent request. With respect to documentation, if the door plug removal was undocumented there would be no documentation to share.”
Read Also:
Bombshell Decision from Michelle Obama on 2024 Run
Former Border Chief Shreds Biden With 4 Simple Words
