FAA Proposes $3.1 Million Fine for Boeing Over 2024 Midair Door-Plug Blowout

The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday proposed $3.1 million in civil penalties against Boeing, citing safety violations that include the January 2024 blowout of a paneled-over exit door, known as a door plug, on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9.

The proposed penalty covers violations the FAA identified from September 2023 through February 2024 at Boeing’s 737 final-assembly plant in Renton, Washington, and at Spirit AeroSystems’ 737 facility in Wichita, Kansas. The agency said its review found hundreds of quality-system violations and alleged that a Boeing employee pressured a member of Boeing’s Organization Designation Authorization unit to sign off on a 737 Max airplane “so that Boeing could meet its delivery schedule,” even though the ODA member determined the aircraft did not meet applicable standards. Boeing has 30 days to respond to the FAA’s notice.

The January incident involved Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which lost a door plug shortly after taking off from Portland. None of the 171 passengers or six crew members were seriously injured, and pilots returned the jet to the airport for a safe landing. A 17-month investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded in June that lapses in Boeing’s manufacturing and safety oversight, combined with ineffective inspections and audits by the FAA, contributed to the blowout.

In response to the FAA action, Boeing said Saturday it was reviewing the proposed civil penalty and noted it had implemented a safety and quality plan last year under FAA oversight intended to improve safety management and quality assurance in airplane production. “We regret the January 2024 door-plug accident and continue to work on strengthening our safety culture and improving first-time quality and accountability across our operations,” Boeing said.

The FAA’s proposed enforcement action is the latest regulatory and legal challenge for Boeing, whose 737 Max has been at the center of scrutiny since two crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed a combined 346 people. In May, the U.S. Justice Department reached an agreement that allowed Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution over allegations it misled regulators about the Max. More recently, Boeing drew global attention in June when an Air India 787 crashed after takeoff, killing at least 270 people; investigators have not identified a defect in the 787 model and have not determined the cause of that accident.

The FAA said its proposed civil penalty stems from the agency’s enforcement of federal aviation safety regulations, and the action follows the NTSB’s findings about manufacturing practices and oversight. The agency’s notice did not specify the individual violations that account for the $3.1 million figure, but it tied the penalty to systemic quality-control problems identified at the two 737 production facilities.

Industry analysts and airline customers have pressed Boeing for more consistent first-time quality and accountability across its operations. Boeing’s production and safety practices have been under increased FAA scrutiny since the Max groundings and subsequent return to service, and the company has said it is committed to rebuilding trust with regulators, customers and the flying public.

The FAA’s proposed civil penalty begins a formal enforcement process. Boeing may contest the findings or negotiate a settlement; the company’s written response is due within 30 days of the agency’s notice. The FAA did not indicate whether further enforcement actions could follow pending Boeing’s response or additional investigations.