News Summary

• On the opposite side of the aircraft, next to the left-hand plug that failed on Alaska 1282, Boeing made another quality discovery.Rivets installed at Spirit in the fuselage structure just forward of the plug exit door frame weren’t installed properly in five locations and required rework..
• “We have a quality management system that actively and continuously seeks out quality issues so that we can fix them and make our products with better quality and safer in terms of outcome.”Another five days would go by as the airplane progressed through final assembly..
• TAC also understands that a new door seal on the plug exit to ensure safe pressurization was also required as part of the fix..
• The key moment, The Air Current has learned, came on Sept. 18 when the plug exit was opened by Boeing to give Spirit contracted staff access to fix the rivets..
• It is not clear at this point who specifically painted over the rivets, but Boeing quality control sent the fasteners back for rework to Spirit, which itself assigns the work to contractors for the company, not its own direct employees..
• The efforts, which require the removal of the plug exit, include inspection of “specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings,” according to the FAA..