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Boeing isn’t absolutely cooperating with investigators trying into the door plug incident aboard an Alaska Airways 737 Max 9 in January, the lead investigator of the federal investigation into the corporate mentioned throughout a congressional listening to on Wednesday.
Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy advised the Senate panel that the company's investigators didn’t obtain some important data they requested from the airplane producer.
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Homendy mentioned, “Boeing has not supplied us with the paperwork and knowledge that now we have requested repeatedly over the previous few months, notably relating to the opening, closing and removing of the door plugs and the gear used to carry out that perform.” Relating to the group.”
“It's absurd that two months later we don't have that,” he mentioned.
Throughout a listening to of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Transportation Security, Homendy once more mentioned that Boeing had failed to offer details about the work achieved on the door plugs of the crashed airplane, in addition to particulars such because the names of these staff. Can even present. Have labored on the door plug. Homendy additionally mentioned Boeing didn’t present paperwork associated to particular procedures for figuring out, storing and sustaining high quality information.
“Both they exist and we don't, or they don't exist, which raises numerous completely different questions relying on what the correct reply is,” Homendy mentioned.
RELATED: Bolts lacking on Boeing 737 Max in final month's Alaska Airways crash, NTSB finds
The bolts securing the door plugs had been lacking on the Alaska Airways jet, in line with preliminary outcomes of the NTSB investigation.
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General, Boeing has not supplied the NTSB with a correct accounting of its quality-related record-keeping processes, Homendy mentioned.
“We have now been knowledgeable that they’ve a course of in place to keep up documentation of when work is carried out, together with when door plugs are opened, closed or eliminated,” Homendy mentioned. “We haven't been capable of confirm it.”
“With out that data, considerations come up concerning the high quality assurance, high quality administration security administration programs inside Boeing,” he mentioned.
A group of 25 folks works on doorways and door plugs, Homendy mentioned. As a result of Boeing didn’t present the workers' names or descriptions, the NTSB couldn’t interview them, he mentioned, which is a vital a part of understanding Boeing's high quality management practices and any potential shortcomings.
Moreover, the company has not been capable of interview the supervisor of the door plug group, who’s at present on medical depart, Homendy mentioned.
Investigators have as an alternative centered on numerous emails and textual content messages, dates and shift staffing, and different data, however haven’t been capable of absolutely establish the workers. Homendy mentioned the NTSB additionally requested safety digital camera footage, however Boeing solely shops the recordings for 30 days.
Homendy mentioned the NTSB has acquired nameless whistleblower reviews from workers of Boeing and subcontractors, and urged different workers to achieve out to the company.
“I believed the CEO mentioned he would cooperate absolutely,” mentioned Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the committee. “It appears as if this data is now hindering your investigation.”
Homendy mentioned the plane producer has not supplied a passable purpose for the delay and lacking data.
“We both haven't acquired a response, or they're saying they're making an attempt to offer it however they're not getting it.”
Contacted by TPG, Boeing didn’t instantly touch upon the listening to or Homendy's feedback.
Interviewing related workers and determining built-in safety procedures has been an total problem, Homendy mentioned, partly as a result of using contractors. Whereas making an attempt to talk to a number of workers of Spirit AeroSystems, which had manufactured the fuselage, the NTSB discovered that three of them had been subcontractors for 3 completely different corporations.
RELATED: What to know concerning the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and MAX sequence
Homendy mentioned it’s regular for the company to come across difficulties throughout any such investigation and delays in gathering data, however he harassed that the issue in acquiring data from Boeing has been “irritating.”
The NTSB is involved with its authorized counsel, Homendy mentioned, and should train extra authority if vital.
“We actually have subpoena energy and we're not afraid to make use of it,” Homendy mentioned. “We hope it doesn't come to this. We hope we will have a cooperative partnership.”
“However it’s a matter of concern to us that we don't have sure data that we’d like in the present day,” he mentioned.