After the door plug blowout Incident: FAA recommends new safety alert protocols to protect cockpit voice recordings. Photo: Ian Dewar Photography / Shutterstock.com The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO 26002) urging airlines to strengthen procedures for preserving Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) data following reportable incidents or accidents.
The guidance follows recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) during its investigation into the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX mid-exit door-plug blowout in January 2024.
The FAA's latest alert is intended for operators of aircraft equipped with cockpit voice recorders and recommends updating company manuals and operational procedures to ensure valuable safety data is not lost after an incident.
The new guidance stems from the January 5, 2024 accident involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX, when a left mid-exit door plug separated during climb shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport, causing rapid cabin depressurization.
According to the NTSB, one flight attendant and seven passengers suffered minor injuries, while the remaining 164 passengers and crew escaped without serious harm. The aircraft, however, sustained substantial damage.
During its investigation, the NTSB determined that the airline's procedures at the time failed to preserve cockpit voice recorder data from the flight. Because most CVRs continuously overwrite recordings after a limited period, investigators lost potentially critical audio that could have aided the investigation.
On July 10, 2025, the NTSB formally recommended that the FAA require airlines to establish clear procedures instructing both flight crews and ground personnel on preserving CVR recordings immediately after reportable events.
In response, the FAA is recommending that operators verify company manuals clearly instruct personnel to pull the cockpit voice recorder circuit breaker as soon as practical after a reportable event. Doing so prevents the recorder from being overwritten before investigators can retrieve the data.
The agency suggests these procedures be included across multiple operational documents, including flight operations manuals, maintenance manuals, dispatch manuals, and emergency and post-incident checklists.