The National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman says heroic actions by the crew aboard an Alaska Airlines flight ensured everyone survived last year when the door plug panel blew out of the plane.

The mid-exit door plug separated from the Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger plane on Jan. 5, 2024, minutes after Flight 1282 took off from Portland International Airport.

The nation's top safety investigators concluded there were multiple systemic failures that led to a midair blowout during the flight of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max jet last year.