Boeing has failed to provide crucial information in the 737 MAX 9 investigation, NTSB says
Boeing has not been fully cooperative with investigators looking at January's door plug incident on board an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, the lead investigator of a federal probe into the company said Wednesday during a congressional hearing.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told a Senate panel that the agency's investigators have not received some essential information that they have sought from the plane-maker.
"Boeing has not provided us with the documents and information that we have requested numerous times over the past few months, specifically with respect to opening, closing and removal of the door plug, and the team that does that work," Homendy said.
"It's absurd that two months later, we don't have that," she added.
During a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on transportation safety, Homendy again said that Boeing has failed to provide information surrounding the work that was carried out on the accident aircraft's door plug, as well as details such as the names of employees who may have worked on the door plugs. Homendy also said that Boeing has not provided paperwork surrounding specific procedures for identifying, storing and retaining quality records.
"Either they exist and we don't have them, or they do not exist, which raises several different questions, depending on which is the right answer," Homendy said.
Related: Bolts were missing on the Boeing 737 MAX in Alaska Airlines accident, NTSB finds
The Alaska Airlines jet was missing bolts that secure the door plug in place, according to the preliminary results of the NTSB investigation.
Overall, Boeing has not provided the NTSB with an appropriate accounting of its quality-related record-keeping processes, Homendy said.
"We have been informed that they have a procedure to maintain documents on when work is performed, including when door plugs are open, closed or removed," Homendy said. "We have not been able to verify that."
"Without that information, that raises concerns about quality assurance, quality management safety management systems within Boeing," she added.
A team of 25 people deals with the doors and the door plugs, Homendy said. Because Boeing has not provided the employees' names or details, the NTSB has not been able to interview them, which is a crucial part of understanding Boeing's quality control practices and any possible deficiencies, she noted.
Additionally, the agency has not been able to interview the door plug team's manager, who is currently on medical leave, Homendy said.
Investigators have instead focused on various emails and text messages, dates and shift staffing, and other information, but have not been able to fully identify the employees. The NTSB requested security camera footage as well, but Boeing only stores the recordings for 30 days, Homendy said.
Homendy said that the NTSB has received anonymous whistleblower reports from workers at Boeing and subcontractors, and urged other employees to reach out to the agency.
"I thought that the CEO said that they would cooperate to the fullest," said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the committee chair. "It seems like this information is now stymieing your investigation."
The plane-maker has not given satisfactory reasons for the delay and missing information, Homendy said.
"We have either not gotten an answer, or they're saying that they're trying to provide it but can't find it."
In a statement, Boeing said that it has cooperated fully with the NTSB, and said that it now provided the detailed list of employees on the door team.
"Early in the investigation, we provided the NTSB with names of Boeing employees, including door specialists, who we believed would have relevant information," Boeing said in its statement. "We have now provided the full list of individuals on the 737 door team, in response to a recent request."
Boeing also suggested that the removal and replacement of the door plug on the aircraft involved in the Alaska Airlines incident may not have been documented, although it was not clear whether any policies or procedures had been broken.
"With respect to documentation, if the door plug removal was undocumented there would be no documentation to share," Boeing said.
Interviewing the relevant employees and tracing unified safety procedures has been an overall challenge, Homendy said, partly because of the use of contractors. While trying to speak with several staffers from Spirit AeroSystems, which built the fuselage, the NTSB learned that three of them were subcontractors from three different companies.
Related: What to know about the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and the MAX series
Homendy said that it's normal for the agency to face difficulties and delays gathering information during such types of investigations, but stressed that the difficulty getting information from Boeing has been "disappointing."
The NTSB has been in touch with its legal counsel, Homendy said, and can exercise additional authority if necessary, she said.
"We certainly have subpoena authority, and we're not afraid to use it," Homendy said. "We hope it doesn't come to that. We hope that we can get cooperative participation."
"But it does concern us that we don't have certain information we should have today," she added.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees