US investigators have blamed Boeing’s poor training and oversight, along with weak FAA enforcement, for the mid-air panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX in January 2024. The NTSB found that Boeing staff improperly removed a door panel without proper documentation or reinstallation, leading to four missing bolts. Though no one was seriously hurt, the incident forced a temporary grounding of affected jets and hurt Boeing’s production. Boeing has since overhauled its quality controls and training. The FAA was also criticized for failing to catch repeated issues in Boeing’s processes.
