Alaska
Boeing unable to identify workers in Alaska Airlines door plug mishap. Why can’t they provide records on Flight 1282?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has expressed its inability to identify the individuals responsible for working on the malfunctioning door plug on Alaska Airlines flight 1282.
This information came to light in a letter from NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy to the Senate Commerce Committee.
The letter, dated Wednesday, reveals that Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, has overwritten surveillance footage from the repair facility where the door plug was reinstalled before the flight earlier this year.
‘To date, we still do not know who performed the work to open, reinstall’
The NTSB had previously requested access to this footage to investigate the circumstances of the midflight incident further. However, the agency has been unable to ascertain which Boeing employees were involved in the work on the door plug, which failed and blew out during a flight in January.
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Chairman Homendy stated in her letter, “To date, we still do not know who performed the work to open, reinstall, and close the door plug on the accident aircraft,” and added, “Boeing has informed us that they are unable to find the records documenting this work.”
In response to the ongoing investigation, Boeing issued a statement on Wednesday affirming its commitment to supporting the NTSB’s efforts. “We have worked hard to honor the rules about the release of investigative information in an environment of intense interest from our employees, customers, and other stakeholders, and we will continue our efforts to do so,” the statement read.
Chairman Homendy also addressed the issue during her testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this month. She informed the committee members that Boeing had not provided the necessary documents for the investigation, including the names of 25 individuals who worked on the door plug. “The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward,” she expressed.
The NTSB’s initial request for these documents on January 9th was met with the information that the door crew manager was on medical leave. Subsequent requests for updates on February 15th and 22nd were met with a response from the manager’s attorney, stating that the manager was unable to provide a statement or interview due to medical issues.
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Chairman Homendy pressures Boeing CEO for clarity
Following the March 6th hearing, Boeing submitted a list of personnel who reported to the door crew manager to the NTSB. However, this list did not specify who actually performed the work on the door plug. Chairman Homendy then reached out to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, requesting the names of the individuals who carried out the work. Calhoun responded that he was unable to provide such information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being performed.
Chairman Homendy clarified that the NTSB is not seeking the names of the employees for punitive reasons but rather to protect the identities of the door crew and other front-line employees who come forward.
In a statement to ABC News, Boeing reiterated its comprehensive response to all NTSB requests, providing relevant information. The company had initially provided the NTSB with names of Boeing employees, including door specialists, believed to have pertinent information. Following a recent request, Boeing supplied the full list of individuals on the 737 door team.
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“Early in the investigation, we provided the NTSB with names of Boeing employees, including door specialists, who we believed would have relevant information. We have now provided the full list of individuals on the 737 door team, in response to a recent request. With respect to documentation, if the door plug removal was undocumented there would be no documentation to share.”
“We will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the NTSB’s investigation,” the company wrote in the statement.
Alaska
Alaska Airlines Seeks Dismissal of Consumer Lawsuit Over $1.9 Billion Hawaiian Airlines Buy
On Friday, Alaska Airlines petitioned a U.S. judge to dismiss a consumer lawsuit challenging its planned $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. The airline argued that the transaction would not unlawfully consolidate its power within the transportation industry.
In its filing with the Hawaii federal court, Alaska Airlines contended that the lawsuit, filed by consumers in April, failed to demonstrate any “concrete, particularized and impending harm” that passengers would face if the deal proceeded. Reuters reported that Alaska Airlines described the plaintiffs as “serial litigants” who had previously filed lawsuits over other airline mergers, labeling their claims as “boilerplate.”
Alaska Airlines refrained from commenting further on Friday. Meanwhile, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, a group of eight airline passengers from Hawaii, California, and other states, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
Alaska Airlines’ Hawaiian Acquisition Faces Antitrust Scrutiny
The lawsuit alleges that the merger would exacerbate the current trend towards concentration and reduced competition in the airline industry, which the plaintiffs argue is “unmatched, unparalleled, and dangerous.” In response, Alaska Airlines asserted in its filing that the merger would significantly expand customer access to global destinations.
The proposed acquisition is currently under antitrust review by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have stated they are cooperating with the DOJ and expect to continue doing so, as reported by Reuters in March.
The case, titled Warren Yoshimoto et al v. Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, under case number 1:24-cv-00173.
Source: Reuters
Alaska
Very strong mag. 6.0 earthquake – North Pacific Ocean, 23 mi southeast of Amukta Island, Aleutians West, Alaska, United States, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 12:35 am (GMT -9) –
Alaska
2 bodies found in plane submerged upside down in Alaska lake
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The bodies of two men have been recovered from a plane that was found face down in a lake, Alaska State Troopers said Saturday.
Troopers were notified late Friday of the upside-down aircraft in Six Mile Lake near the Athabascan community of Nondalton, located about 200 miles (322 kilometers) southwest of Anchorage.
READ: Crammed with tourists, Alaska’s capital wonders what will happen as its magnificent glacier recedes
The bodies of Dave Hedgers, 58, and Aaron Fryer, 45, were found by a dive team dead inside the aircraft, troopers said in an online post. No hometowns were provided.
The bodies will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage.
READ: After a glacial dam outburst destroyed homes in Alaska, a look at the risks of melting ice masses
The National Transportation Safety Board said on the social media platform X that it would investigate the crash of a Taylorcraft BC-12 aircraft near Nondalton.
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