Door of Alaska Airlines detached from the plane mid-air on Friday has finally been found

The Alaska Airlines missing door incident, where the door detached mid-air from a Boeing 737 Max 9, has taken a significant turn as investigators found the missing door plug in Portland. After the mid-air scare, authorities had been searching for the door plug in Portland, the departure city of the affected flight. During a press conference, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy announced that the door plug had been located. A resident named Bob found the missing door in his yard, and the NTSB is set to pick it up for further analysis.

The investigation into the incident faces complications, as the cockpit voice recorder’s record of the event was inadvertently taped over. Homendy expressed disappointment over this loss, emphasizing the impact on safety. During the press conference, she called for an extension of the minimum recording time on cockpit voice recorders from two hours to 25 hours, highlighting the importance of preserving crucial data in case of accidents.

Homendy shared insights into the chaos and communication issues on board the Boeing 737 Max 9 during the incident. The flight crew reported a loud noise, and the cabin rapidly depressurized as the door blew out. The press conference provided an update on the investigation’s progress and the challenges faced due to the loss of some critical data. The discovery of the missing door plug is a significant development, allowing investigators to analyze the piece and gain insights into the incident’s root causes. The incident has led to the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes as safety checks continue to ensure the fleet’s airworthiness.