NTSB’s Alaska 1282 Hearing Set To Scrutinize Boeing’s Aircraft Manufacturing Process

The NTSB’s planned two-day hearing on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 will provide a rare and extensive look into Boeing’s commercial aircraft manufacturing process, from front-line employee readiness to nuanced elements such as how the company attempts to ensure first-time quality, the meeting’s agenda shows.

Set for Aug. 6-7, the hearing will see board members and NTSB technical experts question witnesses from Boeing, key supplier Spirit AeroSystems, the FAA, and the International Association of Machinists (IAM). Their aim is to understand how a 737-9 door plug was left unsecured during a non-routine pre-delivery repair and was not detected before it blew out on the aircraft’s 154th flight.

NTSB’s agenda shows investigators will look carefully at the history of the specific fuselage involved in the accident, from its origins within Spirit’s Wichita factory through delivery to Alaska in October 2023. Among the key questions Boeing will answer is why the company has no documentation detailing the plug’s opening and closing as part of the repair—a necessary step to give workers access to non-conforming rivets that prompted the fix.

But the probe also is delving deep into Boeing’s intricate and sometimes convoluted commercial airplane production process. Day one’s agenda items include 737-9 fuselage manufacturing and inspections at both Spirit and Boeing, how tasks are assigned to specific mechanics, and non-conformance documentation and processing. Investigators will also ask about shop floor worker training and retention and examine some Boeing-specific systems that play integral roles in aircraft production.

A day-two topic will cover production rate increases “and actions taken as rate changes” by both the manufacturer and the FAA.

Among the key industry witnesses slated to testify are Elizabeth Lund, SVP, Quality of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA); Doug Ackerman, BCA VP-supplier quality; Terry George, Spirit’s SVP and general manager of Boeing programs; Scott Grabon, Spirit’s senior director, 737/P8 quality; and Gregg Brown, Spirit’s SVP-quality and support.

The board also will dig into FAA’s oversight of Boeing and aircraft manufacturing in general. One panel slated for Aug. 7 will examine both an eight-week audit prompted by the Alaska occurrence and the “effectiveness of FAA guidance” for manufacturers. Another second-day panel is dedicated to safety and quality management systems.

Boeing has made numerous changes to its production process since January, prompted by early lessons learned from the Alaska accident. It has stopped accepting non-conforming fuselages from Spirit, for example, cutting down on extra work done in its factories that often led to production-line bottlenecks. It also has stopped prioritizing “movement of the airplane through the factory over getting it done right,” as CFO Brian West explained in March.

The most visible changes have come in key leadership positions, including the departure of CEO Dave Calhoun, whose last day is the second day of the hearing. Industry veteran Kelly Ortberg takes over as Boeing’s top executive Aug. 8.

Despite the changes, Boeing remains under close FAA scrutiny. It is unable to add a planned fourth 737 production line or ramp up production rates past 38 per month until the FAA is satisfied the company’s safety and quality improvements are bearing fruit.