Alaska Airlines Aircraft That Experienced Midair Incident Reportedly Departed Boeing Factory Without Essential Bolts

An Alaska Air Group Inc ALK aircraft that encountered an in-flight issue appears to have left the Boeing Co BA factory without crucial bolts, insiders reveal.

What Happened: Officials from the aviation industry, including representatives from Boeing, are increasingly convinced that the missing bolts, which were meant to secure a part of the jet that detached in flight, were not installed during the manufacturing process at the Boeing factory, reported Wall Street Journal on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Speculation arose after the absence of bolt marks on the door plug of the Alaska Airlines jet when it separated from the plane mid-flight over Oregon on Jan. 5. Furthermore, irregularities in paperwork and protocols at Boeing’s Renton, Washington plant, related to the door plug work, have been noted.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining the plug door but has yet to release the test results, which could determine if the bolts were present or absent. An update on the NTSB investigation is expected this week.

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Why It Matters: The incident follows a near-miss earlier this month when a panel unexpectedly opened mid-flight during a trip with 177 passengers. Alaska Airlines CEO, Ben Minicucci, expressed his anger and frustration at Boeing’s subpar quality control after inspections revealed many loose bolts on their Max 9 aircraft.

After a temporary grounding period, United Airlines Holdings Inc UAL and Alaska Airlines resumed flights with the Boeing 737 Max 9s. The grounding was a response to the mid-air incident involving the door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight.

This series of events has caused a significant dip in Alaska Air’s stock, which fell by more than 7% over the past month.

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