Boeing's head of 737 Max program loses job after midair blowout

The Boeing executive in charge of the company's 737 Max production program is out of a job, Boeing said in an email to employees Wednesday. 

Ed Clark, who oversaw 737 production "is leaving the company" after nearly 18 years, Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing's commercial plane unit, wrote in a company memo, obtained by CBS News. 

Katie Ringgold, former vice president of 737 delivery operations, is replacing him, effective immediately.

His ouster comes amid fallout after a portion of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft blew out mid-air on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, on January 5. 

Missing bolts that were never attached to the Boeing aircraft's door were to blame for the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board found earlier this month. 

The door plug, which covers an unused aircraft exit door, is usually secured by four bolts, which keep it in place. In this case, the door blew out, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. 

The FAA subsequently grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes temporarily, for inspections. Nobody was seriously injured. 

Investigators found loose hardware on other aircraft, too.

— This is a developing story. 

Megan Cerullo

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.