Crucial bolts were MISSING from door plug that blew off Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane mid-flight – in clearest evidence yet of major manufacturing flaw, damning new report reveals

Bolts appear to be missing from the door plug that blew out of a Boeing 737 MAX during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, investigators said Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the incident provided the clearest evidence yet that a significant manufacturing defect led to the near-tragedy.

The blowout of Flight 1282 on January 5, as the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, left a gaping hole in the side of the plane and led to extensive federal investigations into Boeing’s manufacturing process.

The new report shows that four mounting bolts, intended to prevent vertical movement of the door plug, were missing at the time of the incident.

That finding was based on a careful analysis of the plane and the parts recovered from the ground.

Overall, the observed damage patterns and the absence of contact damage or deformation around holes associated with the vertical motion diverter bolts and the upper guide rail bolts in the upper guide fittings, hinge fittings, and recovered rear lower hinge guide fittings indicate that the four bolts surrounding the to prevent upward movement of the (door) plug, were missing before the (door) plug moved upward from the stop pads,” the report said.

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