Boeing (NYSE:BA) could lose its status as a party to the probe into the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 door plug blow-out, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) warned on Thursday.
In a letter sent to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, NTSB Office of Aviation Safety Director Timothy LeBaron hit back at Boeing (BA) for releasing non-public details of its ongoing investigation at a briefing on Tuesday.
During a factory tour attended by dozens of journalists, a Boeing (BA) executive Elizabeth Lund “released non-public investigative information and made unsubstantiated speculations” about possible causes of the January incident, in which a door plug on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaskan Airlines blew out shortly after takeoff.
LeBaron said a part of the released information was either inaccurate or unknown to the NTSB, while others had not been previously disclosed to the public.
The NTSB had considered removing Boeing (BA) as a party to the probe in response to the continued failure to comply with its rules and added further infractions could lead to Boeing losing its party status, which would bar it from participating in the investigation.
However, the investigative agency has decided that Boeing (BA) will remain a party, but no longer have access to the probe data the NTSB produces. It will also subpoena Boeing (BA) for a hearing in early August and “unlike the other parties in the hearing, Boeing will not be allowed to ask questions of other participants.”
More importantly, the NTSB will also refer the breaches made by Boeing (BA) to the justice department.
This is the second warning the NTSB has issued to the aviation company in 2024 regarding its violations of federal regulations.