The National Transportation Safety Board says four key bolts were “missing” when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight in midair last month.
On January 5, 2024, Alaska Airlines flight 1282, a Boeing 737-9, N704AL, returned to Portland International Airport (PDX), Portland, Oregon, after the left mid exit door plug departed the airplane leading to a rapid decompression. The airplane landed on runway 28L at PDX without further incident, and all occupants (2 flight crewmembers, 4 cabin crewmembers, and 171 passengers) deplaned at the gate.
In its 19-page report, the NTSB says four bolts that were supposed to hold the door plug in place were not recovered. Nevertheless, investigators say “the observed damage patterns and absence of contact damage” on the door panel and plane itself indicate the four bolts were “missing” before the door plug was ejected from the plane.
The door plug was originally installed by contractor Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan., and then shipped to Boeing’s factory in Renton, Wash., for assembly. Once it arrived in Washington, the NTSB says damaged rivets were discovered on the fuselage that required the door plug to be opened for repairs. After that work was completed by Spirit AeroSystems personnel at the Boeing plant, the bolts were not reinstalled, according to photo evidence provided to the NTSB by Boeing.