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Boeing Sanctioned By US Regulator For Revealing 737 Blowout Details To Media
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By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted June 30, 2024
Boeing has come under fire from the top US accident investigator for breaching regulations by disclosing private information to the media.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also sanctioned Boeing for speculating the causes of a cabin panel blowout incident involving an Alaska Airlines plane in January.
The NTSB said it is collaborating with the Department of Justice, which is considering legal action against Boeing for potentially violating a settlement related to two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The incident occurred when a door plug detached from a 737 Max 9 shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.
This forced the Alaska Airlines crew to make an emergency landing.
The NTSB’s investigation revealed that four crucial bolts were missing from the panel.
The NTSB accused Boeing of breaching its regulations.
It also claims Boeing breached a signed agreement by sharing "non-public investigative information" and “speculating about possible causes” of the incident during a media briefing.
The NTSB said: “As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing.”
As a result, Boeing has been stripped of access to information produced by the NTSB during its ongoing investigation.
Boeing organized the media briefing on Tuesday, June 25, to address regulators, airlines, and passengers' growing concerns about quality and safety.
During this briefing, a Boeing executive shared investigative details and analysis of factual information.
These are actions prohibited under their agreement with the NTSB.
Boeing: “We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB’s role as the source of investigative information.
The NTSB rebuked Boeing for portraying the investigation as a hunt to find the person responsible for the door plug issue.
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The agency clarified its focus is on determining the probable cause of the accident, not assigning individual blame or liability.
Upon learning of the briefing, the NTSB requested further information from Boeing.
The provided transcript revealed the disclosure of unverified and unauthorized information,
This was alongside opinions and analysis on possible causes of the accident.
The NTSB indicated plans to share details of the incident with the Department of Justice's fraud division.
Boeing’s spokesman said: “As we continue to take responsibility and work transparently, we conducted an in-depth briefing on our safety and quality plan and shared context on the lessons we have learned from the 5 January accident.
“We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB’s role as the source of investigative information.
“We apologize to the NTSB and stand ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation.”
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