By The Associated Press
The head accident investigator of the country mentioned on Wednesday that her agency still has no information about the workers who worked on the panel that blew off a jetliner in January. Boeing’s CEO informed her that the company doesn't have any records about the job.
“The lack of those records will make the NTSB’s investigation more complicated,” Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, wrote in a letter to a Senate committee investigating the Jan. 5 accident on a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines.
Boeing issued a brief statement reiterating its commitment to supporting the investigation.
Homendy informed senators last week that the NTSB requested security-camera footage from Boeing to potentially identify the workers involved in the panel in September, but was informed that the video was deleted after 30 days — before the incident occurred.
Boeing stated that it is usual company practice to delete video after 30 days.
Homendy’s recent letter to the Senate Commerce Committee followed her appearance before the panel last week. Shortly after her testimony, Boeing provided the names of 25 employees working on doors at the company’s 737 factory near Seattle.
However, the company has not disclosed which worker removed the panel, used to cover a hole when additional emergency doors are not needed on a plane. She even contacted Boeing CEO David Calhoun.
“He said he was not able to provide that information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being done,” Homendy wrote. Boeing did not respond to the phone call.
There is a downside to NTSB’s focus on identifying specific workers, Homendy admitted. She was concerned that it might discourage people from discussing the matter with investigators, so she instructed her staff to safeguard the identities of Boeing employees who step forward.
