KUALA LUMPUR – Spirit AeroSystems has kept mum over questions on the handwritten ‘Made in Malaysia’ label on the door plug that flew off mid-air during an Alaska Airlines flight last Friday.
Senior corporate communications manager Forrest Gossett told Scoop that Spirit AeroSystems will not be making any statements on the incident involving a Boeing 737 MAX 9 for now.
“At this point, we are not going beyond our statement released on Monday,” he said in an email today.
The statement released by Spirit AeroSystems on Monday focused on the quality and product integrity of the aircraft structures it delivers.
“Spirit is a committed partner with Boeing on the 737 program, and we continue to work together with them on this matter.
“Spirit is following the protocols set by the regulatory authorities that guide communication in these types of circumstances and we will share further information when appropriate,” it read.
Questions arose when Portland (in the US state of Oregon) native Bob Sauer found the door plug in his backyard. He was intrigued to find that the equipment’s serial number and manufacturing details looked like they were written in permanent marker by hand.
Among other details, it said it was manufactured in Malaysia and had a line unit number of 8799.
Earlier today, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he has yet to receive any information regarding the ‘Made in Malaysia’ door plug.
“I cannot comment on the matter as I did not receive information on this. It is also not under the ministry’s purview. We don’t know its authenticity, it was just based on a report from a member of the public (in Portland, US).
“If there is an official report from the airline, we will ask the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to look into the complaint.” – January 12, 2024