The country’s top accident investigator revealed on Wednesday that her organization is still unsure of the identity of the crew member who worked on the panel that detonated a plane in January and that the CEO of Boeing informed her that the firm does not have any documentation pertaining to the task.
In a statement to a Senate committee investigating the crash involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy stated, “The lack of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward.”
Boeing promised in a brief statement to support the probe, as it has done on numerous occasions.
Homendy said lawmakers last week that the NTSB had requested security camera footage from Boeing in September in an attempt to determine who was on the panel, but had been informed after 30 days—months prior to the blowout—that the tape had been wiped.
Boeing stated on Wednesday that the company’s regular procedure is to remove video after 30 days.
In response to her appearance before the committee last week, Homendy sent her most recent letter to the Senate Commerce Committee. Boeing gave the names of 25 workers who work on doors at the company’s 737 facility close to Seattle shortly after her testimony concluded.
She said that the panel, which closes a gap left when additional emergency doors are not needed on an aircraft, was removed by a worker, although the company has not yet disclosed which person did so. She claimed to have called David Calhoun, the CEO of Boeing.
Homendy writes, “He claimed he couldn’t give that information and insisted that Boeing didn’t have any records of the work being done.” Regarding the phone call, Boeing remained silent.
