Originally Posted by
tdracer
The fuselage isn't built by Boeing - all 737 fuselages are assembled in Wichita by Spirit AeroSystems. The fuselages are shipped to Renton by rail as basically complete structures with the plug (or door) already installed. Assuming that this was an assembly issue (as seems likely based on the lack of associated damage from the departed plug, as well as the AD'ed inspection), the blame should fall squarely on Spriit, not Boeing.
But although the sheet metal items may be built by a subcontractor, they don't also install the cabin linings, do they ? These are commonly customer-specific anyway. These would have been fitted across where the bolt positions we now see in the photographs are, as part of the interior fitout. This picture seems to show the interion Boeing receive
