Before part of an Alaska Airlines plane blew off, Boeing had removed and adjusted it, reports say

Before the plane took its first flight, Boeing removed and reinstalled the part that blew off an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, according to reports from the New York Times and the Seattle Times, both citing a person familiar with the matter.

Before the plane took its first flight, Boeing had removed and reinstalled the part that blew off of an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, according to reports from the New York Times and the Seattle Times, both citing a person familiar with the matter. Although federal investigators continue to probe the incident and have not reached any conclusions, the details could provide critical new insight into what may have caused a gaping hole to form in a 737 Max 9 mid-flight. The reports said the door plug, a part of the plane used to seal the aircraft when no exit door is installed, was removed because Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the fuselage for 737 Max 9 planes, needed to make other repairs to the door plug’s rivets, used to connect various parts together. Boeing then reinstalled the door after Spirit AeroSystems made the repair. Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems are under multiple investigations that probe their safety policies and procedures. The Federal Aviation Administration recently expanded its Boeing probe to include Spirit AeroSystems, the National Transportation Safety Board is also reviewing the incident, and Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced Wednesday that she would hold a future hearing to investigate Boeing’s safety record. Boeing said it couldn’t comment on the reports about what may have led to the door plug blowing off the plane, citing the ongoing investigation. “As the air safety agency responsible for investigating this accident, only the US National Transportation Safety Board can release information about the investigation,” Boeing said in a statement.