#as1282

NTSB Final Report - July, 10th 2025

Accident: AS1282 - Alaska Airlines B39M at Portland on Jan 5th 2024, emergency exit plug and panel separated in flight

Abstract: This report discusses the January 5, 2024, accident involving a Boeing 737-9 airplane operated by Alaska Airlines that experienced an in-flight separation of the left mid exit door (MED) plug and rapid depressurization during climb after takeoff from Portland International Airport. One flight attendant and 7 passengers received minor injuries; the captain, the first officer, 3 flight attendants, and 164 passengers were uninjured; and the airplane sustained substantial damage.

Board Member Statements:

As the findings of this report indicate, and as the probable cause suggests, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (Boeing) had no shortage of systemic issues in the leadup to Flight 1282 across numerous departments, teams, and levels of leadership. While eliminating all risk with such complex aircraft production is nearly impossible, Boeing’s failures across its training, guidance, voluntary safety management system, quality management system, and internal auditing compromised the safety of the 737 production line in Renton. Even if the removal of the left mid exit door (MED) plug in Renton had been properly documented and the removed bolts properly reinstalled on the accident airplane, I am skeptical Boeing’s systems at the time were equipped to catch these types of errors and would have successfully prevented a similar accident. To that end, we issued nine recommendations to Boeing as a result of this investigation. These recommendations include implementing a design enhancement for MED plugs, revising Business Process Instruction (BPI) “Perform Part or Assembly Removal” to ensure clarity and brevity for employees, revising training programs, and improving the safety risk management process.