In a recent letter to Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, Ziad Ojakli, the executive vice president of government operations at Boeing, revealed that the company has been unable to locate any documents related to the door plug incident on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet in January. Ojakli stated that extensive efforts were made by employees to find paperwork regarding the "opening and closing of the door plug," but no records were found. He further suggested that it is possible that the required documents were never created in the first place.

The letter comes in response to the Senate Commerce Committee's hearing last Wednesday, where National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy accused Boeing of withholding crucial information about the door plug. However, Ojakli strongly denied these allegations, emphasizing that Boeing has been fully committed to cooperating and providing transparency since the incident occurred.

According to a preliminary report released by the NTSB last month, the door plug in question was found to be missing four key bolts, which are responsible for keeping the door plug securely in place. Investigators believe that during repair work conducted at Boeing's factory in Washington state last year, the bolts were not properly re-installed. Homendy stated during the hearing that the NTSB has yet to determine who was responsible for this negligence.

In response to the NTSB's request, Ojakli mentioned in his letter that Boeing has provided additional names of employees involved in the incident. This indicates the company's willingness to assist in the investigation.

Since the incident on January 5th, where a door plug ripped off during an Alaska Airlines flight at 16,000 feet, leaving a substantial hole, Boeing has faced intense scrutiny. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported. Both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched investigations into the matter. Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the Department of Justice has initiated a criminal probe into the incident.

As of now, Boeing has not responded to NPR's request for comment.

The company's inability to locate documents surrounding the door plug incident raises questions about its record-keeping practices and accountability. With the federal investigation underway and multiple agencies involved, the focus will be on uncovering the truth behind the missing bolts and determining responsibility for the failure to reattach the door plug properly.

It remains to be seen what consequences, both legal and reputational, Boeing will face in light of the ongoing investigations.