The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $3.1 million fine against Boeing for a series of safety violations, including issues tied to the dramatic door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024.
The violations occurred between September 2023 and February 2024, a period that includes the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 incident. Just minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, the aircraft lost a paneled-over exit door known as a “door plug.” Thankfully, the 171 passengers and six crew members were unharmed, and pilots managed a safe emergency landing.
What Investigators Found
A lengthy 17-month investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that Boeing’s manufacturing lapses and weak safety oversight, combined with ineffective FAA inspections, contributed to the blowout. Investigators discovered that key bolts were missing from the door plug.
The FAA also reported finding hundreds of quality system violations at Boeing’s 737 factory in Renton, Washington, as well as at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas. One concerning example involved a Boeing employee allegedly pressuring an inspector to approve a jet that did not meet required safety standards—simply to keep production on schedule.
Boeing’s Response
Boeing has 30 days to respond to the FAA’s proposed penalty. In a statement, the company said it is reviewing the fine and emphasized that it introduced a new safety and quality plan in 2024 under FAA supervision.
The company added:
“We regret the January 2024 door-plug accident and continue to strengthen our safety culture, improve first-time quality, and increase accountability.”
Boeing’s Ongoing Safety Struggles
The Boeing 737 Max has been a major challenge for the company. Two earlier crashes—in Indonesia (2018) and Ethiopia (2019)—killed 346 people and sparked global scrutiny. More recently, Boeing avoided criminal prosecution through a Justice Department deal over accusations of misleading regulators before those crashes.
In June 2025, Boeing was again in the spotlight after a deadly crash involving an Air India Boeing 787, which killed at least 270 people. Investigators have not linked that tragedy to design flaws, as the 787 generally has a strong safety record.
For now, the FAA fine adds to Boeing’s mounting pressure as it works to restore trust, strengthen oversight, and ensure passenger safety.
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