The whole door plug blew out, the size of a real door. Here it is on the ground where it landed in this guy's back yard................
Posted on 01/09/2024 5:04:14 PM PST by Red Badger
Investigators say a door plug on Alaska Airlines 1282 came loose from fittings meant to hold it to the plane
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United Airlines and Alaska Airlines have discovered loose parts on Boeing BA -1.41%decrease; red down pointing triangle 737 MAX 9 jets that they have inspected after a near-catastrophe on a flight Friday, signaling Boeing’s issues go beyond the aircraft that made an emergency landing.
The disclosures came shortly before investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board said that dangerous episode on an Alaska Airlines jet occurred because an emergency exit-sized door plug blew out at around 16,000 feet after somehow moving off a set of stops that are designed to keep it attached to the plane.
The four bolts designed to keep the plug from moving off the stops were missing, they said, adding that they would work to determine whether the bolts had ever even been installed.
United said earlier that its inspections “had found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug—for example, bolts that needed additional tightening.” The airline said the issues would be remedied by maintenance staff as it awaits approval to return the planes to service.
Alaska said earlier that initial reports from technicians preparing the MAX 9 fleet for inspections accessed the plug area and indicated loose hardware was visible on some planes. The carrier has 65 MAX 9 jets. “Any findings will be fully addressed in a matter that satisfies our safety standards and FAA compliance,” the airline said, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration.
NTSB officials declined Monday to address the flaws found by the airline inspections and said that, while they could broaden their probe, they are still focused on what exactly caused the door plug to move out of position.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Assembled late on Friday afternoon, maybe? I remember changing a taillight on my wife’s circa 1980 vintage Escort. There was a bolt that was supposed to keep the bumper on, with molybdenum grease on it, and a nut sitting below it, waiting to be put on. Weird.
...and we wonder why Russia is making minced-meat out of Western ‘wonder-weapons’.
I had a 1980 Ford F-100 Stepside pickup that had a bad rear axel oil leak.
Took the wheel and hub off to replace the oil seal.
There wasn’t one....................
“I think using rubber belts would have solved it.”
Until the belt finally breaks when you forget to change it at the recommended interval.
Does Boing have a DIE hiring mandate?
Decades ago the Post office ran at a profit then LBJ set racial quotas and so many extra employees were required to get the work done while covering the unfireable that it’s been a money pit ever since.
Red Loctite?
The factory fasteners would fail just with street driven cars. Factory replacement nuts were pre coated with some sort of thread lock.
Apparently people who tracked their cars couldn’t trust just a reverse thread with thread locker and ended up drilling and safety wire or tack welding the nut.
That said, the fuselage for this plane is built in Wichita, the door "plug" is installed and the entire fuselage shipped by rail to Seattle for final assembly.
In Seattle, the door "plug" is removed to allow access inside the aircraft for workers, interior panels, seats, etc.
When the aircraft is completed, the plug is reattached. It's here, in Seattle, that we seem to have a problem. Either the plug bolts were not torqued properly, or the bolts were damaged from disassembly and reassembly, or something else entirely...
I think you have it correct...............
Was it a window or a door. So far I’ve read it was a window > it was a window on an emergency door > it was an emergency door that blow out.
On certain versions of the aircraft there is a ‘emergency door’ there that would open out over the wing for escape.
On versions where this is not necessary, a ‘Door Plug’ is installed that may or may not have a window in it depending on the model. A cargo aircraft would not need a window.
This model had the plug with a window for passenger seating.
Thank God the passengers near that hole had their seatbelts on....................
But was it an 8x12ish window or a man sized portal that blew out? That is what I’m unclear about.
I’m amazed at how many vehicles out there are missing the:
Valve stem covers on the tires
Battery hold down brackets
Even saw one missing the AC service port caps.
They didn’t leave the factory with this stuff missing...
Lots of lazy people out there. Some of them even get jobs on an assembly line.
The whole door plug blew out, the size of a real door. Here it is on the ground where it landed in this guy's back yard................
I’ll take a train, thanks
Thanks for clearing that up Red Badger. I appreciate it.
And just by chance that seat in front of that hole was unoccupied....................
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