The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed fining Boeing $3.1 million for safety violations including those related to the January 2024 in-flight blow out of a 737 Max 9’s mid-cabin door plug.
The agency disclosed the fine on 12 September, saying $3.1 million is the maximum amount it can fine the company under US law.
“The FAA identified hundreds of quality system violations at Boeing’s 737 factory in Renton, Washington, and Boeing subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems’ 737 factory in Wichita, Kansas,” the FAA says. “Additionally, Boeing presented two unairworthy aircraft to the FAA for airworthiness certificates and failed to follow its quality system.”
Some of the violations involved Boeing’s internal Organization Designation Authorisation (ODA) team – the group approved by the FAA to perform some certification, testing and inspection work on behalf of the regulator.
“A non-ODA Boeing employee pressured a Boeing ODA unit member to sign off on Boeing 737 Max airplane so Boeing could meet its delivery schedule, even though the ODA member determined the aircraft did not comply with applicable standards,” the FAA says.
Boeing’s quality violations “include actions related to the January 5, 2024, door plug blow out, and interference with safety officials’ independence,” the FAA adds.
The airframer says it is reviewing the proposed civil penalty.
“We regret the January 2024 door-plug accident and continue to work on strengthening our safety culture and improving first-time quality and accountability across our operations,” the company says. “Last year, under the oversight of the FAA, we instituted a safety and quality plan with key performance indicators to enhance safety management and quality assurance in airplane production. Our team continues to implement these improvements.”
The 5 January 2024 incident involved an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 operating flight 1282 from Portland to Ontario, California. During ascent, the jet’s left-side mid-cabin door plug blew out, leaving a hole in the side of the jet. The aircraft was diverted back to Portland. Seven passengers and one flight attendant suffered minor injuries, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Investigators attributed the incident to quality and safety oversights at Boeing’s Renton site.
During the Alaska jet’s production, Boeing workers in Renton removed the left-side door plug to fix a rivet problem. Those workers replaced the plug but never attached the four bolts intended to secure it, causing the plug to eventually fail.
