SEEKING MORE INFORMATION
Homendy said the NTSB had sought documentation related to opening and closing of the door plug and removal of key bolts that were missing and requested documentation related to the door plug “numerous times over the past few months”.
She also said the NTSB has been unable to interview the manager of the door team who has been out on medical leave.
A spokesperson for Homendy said she stands by her testimony.
Separately, she told Reuters the NTSB plans to hold a multiple-day investigative hearing into the MAX 9, likely in late summer, which will include testimony from staff at Boeing and fuselage manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems.
Homendy confirmed that inspections of all other MAX 9 planes in service found no other missing bolts.
The planemaker has scrambled to explain and strengthen safety procedures since the January mid-air incident that led to the FAA grounding the MAX 9 for several weeks. The company has been the subject of increased scrutiny from regulators and airlines concerned about the quality of jet production.
Homendy said the NTSB does not know which employees removed the bolts and failed to reinstall them, she said.
“The NTSB needs to interview the employees,” she said. “We are not about blame at the NTSB. This is the only way we ensure safety is to find out what happened, what was done, what was not done, what policies are in place.”
Homendy said she was not suggesting any malfeasance on Boeing’s part. “What I’m saying is we’ve requested the information. We don’t have the information.”
Senator Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, called it “utterly unacceptable” that the NTSB was not receiving full cooperation from Boeing and asked for an update from Homendy within a week.
Homendy also confirmed that the MAX 9 door plug had moved during prior flights, citing markings on the door.
There were 154 prior flights by the Alaska Airlines MAX 9 jet before the Jan 5 flight.
“There were very small movements until it eventually came out,” Homendy said, adding that testing showed “you could see a bit of a gap towards the end” but that it was not clear how noticeable it was.
Federal Aviation Administrator Mike Whitaker said last week Boeing must develop a comprehensive plan to address “systemic quality-control issues” within 90 days following an all-day meeting with Calhoun on Feb 27.
An FAA audit of 737 production found “non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control,” the agency said on Monday.
Source: CNA
