Senator received briefing, viewed recovered plug door at NTSB HQ ahead of report’s release  

Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, released the statement below regarding the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report on the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 plug door accident. The Senator and other Committee leaders were briefed this morning at NTSB headquarters by Chair Homendy ahead of the report’s release:

“This morning, NTSB gave Committee leaders an up-close look at the plug door that flew off Alaska Airlines flight 1282 and its initial finding that bolts securing it to the fuselage were missing. The NTSB's preliminary report on the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 accident underscores how important quality assurance is from manufacturers and how important quality control inspections from both manufacturers and the FAA are to the safety process. We look forward to NTSB’s final report highlighting the importance of these safety practices.

“The Commerce Committee will be holding oversight hearings on these issues and the NTSB findings.”