Boeing’s subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems repeatedly warned of ‘excessive’ defects in the Alaska Airlines door plug that blew out at 16,000ft and nearly caused worst air disaster in 22 years

The Boeing subcontractor that manufactured the door plug that blew out at 16,000 feet during an Alaska Airlines flight was warned of an “excessive number of defects,” according to a lawsuit days before the ill-fated flight.

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 suffered a near-catastrophic failure Friday when the door plug fell out and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing.

The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the door in the backyard of a suburban home in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday.

On December 19, a class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court against Spirit AeroSystems, alleging that it had experienced “persistent quality issues” in its products.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of investors of the company, which was previously a Boeing manufacturing unit until 2005.

The lawsuit filed against Spirit AeroSystems alleges that the company had production problems and includes a complaint from an employee who alleged an “excessive number of defects” in an email sent to a company executive.

A Boeing subcontractor that manufactured the door plug that blew 16,000 feet into the air during a flight was warned of an “excessive number of defects,” according to a new lawsuit

On December 19, a class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court against Spirit AeroSystems, led by CEO Patrick Shanahan (pictured), alleging that it had experienced “persistent quality issues” in its products.

While the complaints do not specifically address door plugs, it is alleged that Spirit’s “quality problems were so severe and persistent that Boeing even placed Spirit on a multi-year probationary period.”

The lawsuit adds that the company’s problems were “widespread” and included “the routine presence of foreign objects in Spirit products, missing fasteners, peeling paint and poor skin quality.”

DailyMail.com has contacted Spirit and Boeing for comment on the lawsuit.

“Spirit follows protocols established by regulatory authorities that guide communications in these types of circumstances, and we will share further information as appropriate,” the company said in a statement on its web page about the Alaska Airlines incident.

Flight 1282 suffered a near-fatal incident after the door plug was sucked out of the Boeing 737 Max 9 shortly after it took off from Portland International Airport for Ontario, California.

Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the only two U.S. airlines flying the plane, revealed they found loose bolts in several other door plugs on their fleet.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday ordered the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft with a plug door.

Another update came on Tuesday stating they would remain grounded until it is determined they can all safely return to operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the door in the backyard of a suburban Portland home on Sunday

The agency’s investigators will examine the door plug and send it to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for further examination.

A photo shows that the frame of the future door was completely torn away due to the failure of the hull

The lawsuit alleges that Spirit is heavily dependent on Boeing for orders and produces a large portion of the aircraft company’s jet fuselages.

“Such ongoing quality issues were partly the result of Spirit’s culture, which prioritized production numbers and short-term financial results over product quality,” the company claimed.

According to the complaint, Spirit suffered from two specific production issues.

The company is said to have “improperly drilled holes in the 737 Max’s rear pressure bulkhead,” which is located at the rear of the aircraft.

A second issue involved a “defect relating to the tailfin attachments of certain 737 MAX aircraft,” which was highlighted by Boeing in April.

Spirit saw its stock price take a dive due to the production problems and has overhauled its executives.

It named Patrick Shanahan as its new CEO, replacing Thomas C. Gentile III, who had served in the role since 2016 and was named as a defendant in the class action lawsuit.

In a statement shared with X on Saturday, federal regulators said it will require immediate inspections of certain aircraft before they can return to the skies

The flight that was scheduled to arrive at Ontario International in California returned Friday evening after the plug door came loose

Terrified passengers feared for their lives on Friday after the door plug fell. After recovering the damaged Alaska Airlines door, NTSB said on

Shares of Boeing suffered their biggest plunge in more than a year on Monday, losing as much as $13.5 billion in value on the first day of trading after the Alaska Airlines mid-air explosion.

“We are committed to ensuring that every Boeing aircraft meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards,” a Boeing spokesperson said.

The near disaster caused shares of Boeing Corp to fall 8.6 percent (from 248 to 228) between Friday evening and Monday morning. The stock continued to fall after the market opened, reaching 226 points. Analysts warned that the stock is expected to continue falling until the planes are back in service.

Meanwhile, shares of Alaska Air fell 4.3 percent, while shares of United Airlines, the other US carrier that operates the plane, fell 2.4 percent.