Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems factories under scrutiny during federal safety hearing over 737 Max blowout

• A two-day safety hearing for Boeing and its fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems began on Tuesday.
• Over 3,000 pages of documents were made public by the NTSB, including interviews with Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems employees, as well as pilots, flight attendants, and executives.
• A Boeing safety executive stated that the company is currently developing a new design in order to prevent a recurrence of the midair explosion.

On Tuesday, a safety executive informed a federal safety hearing that the company is currently working on design modifications to prevent a recurrence of the near catastrophic door plug blowout that occurred on a practically new 737 Max 9 at the beginning of the year.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released over 3,000 pages of documents prior to its two-day hearing on Flight 1282, which included interviews with Boeing and its troubled fuselage manufacturer employees, some of whom pointed to rework.

"NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that the investigation into the Jan. 5 incident is not a PR campaign for Boeing, but rather an inquiry into the events that occurred."

According to preliminary investigation results, the door bolts that were supposed to secure the door in place were not attached, resulting in an accident that put the spotlight back on Boeing's safety procedures and manufacturing flaws. Despite no serious injuries, the incident highlighted the need for changes at Boeing's factories, including the removal of the door plug last year without proper securing.

Elizabeth Lund, head of safety for Boeing's commercial airplane unit, stated that they are working on design changes that will prevent the door from being closed if there is any issue until it is securely locked. These changes will be implemented within the year, Lund added.

A management shakeup at Boeing, including the appointment of a new CEO, Robert "Kelly" Ortberg, has been prompted by the blowout that plunged the company back into crisis mode. He begins his tenure on Thursday.

The delay in deliveries of new planes to customers due to the accident has further strained the relationship between the U.S. manufacturer and airlines, as well as regulators.

Boeing is working to eliminate "traveled work" in its aircraft production process, where defective components need to be fixed out of sequence before the planes are delivered to customers. Additionally, the company is acquiring a closer watch on quality through its buyback of Spirit AeroSystems.

""One Boeing worker, whose name was redacted from testimony, stated that we were replacing doors like we were replacing our underwear, forward doors, cargo doors, and E/E bay doors. The planes come in jacked up every day," said the worker."