• FAA proposes a $3.1 million fine against Boeing for safety violations.
• The violations relate to a door plug panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight.
• These incidents highlight ongoing concerns over Boeing's manufacturing practices.
• Boeing has 30 days to respond to the FAA's proposed penalty.
• The FAA's findings follow a lengthy investigation into Boeing's safety oversight.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seeking a proposed civil penalty of $3.1 million from Boeing due to multiple safety violations, including a significant incident where an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 experienced a door plug blowout shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. This unsettling event occurred within a timeframe from September 2023 through February 2024 and involved no reported injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members on board, according to Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Newsweek.

Following a 17-month investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), it was determined that lapses in Boeing’s manufacturing and safety oversight combined with ineffective audits by the FAA significantly contributed to the blowout incident. The FAA reported identifying “hundreds of quality system violations” at both Boeing's 737 factory in Renton, Washington, and the Spirit AeroSystems factory in Wichita, Kansas, as detailed by Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Newsweek.

Among the identified violations, the FAA found that a Boeing employee pressured an inspector from Boeing's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) unit to sign off on a 737 Max despite known noncompliance with regulatory standards. This incident accentuates a worrying trend of interference with delegated safety officials, as highlighted by Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Newsweek.

Boeing has been given 30 days to respond to the FAA’s proposed civil penalty. In a statement, the company acknowledged the tragic accident and emphasizes ongoing efforts to enhance its safety culture and production quality under FAA oversight. Boeing stated, “We continue to work on strengthening our safety culture and improving first-time quality and accountability across our operations,” as reported by Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Newsweek.