U.S. National Transportation Safety Board publishes preliminary report on Alaska 737 MAX 9

FILE PHOTO: The recovered fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX

(Reuters) - The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday published its preliminary report on a January Alaska Airlines incident involving a Boeing 737 MAX where an air panel blew out in mid-flight, according to the agency's website.

The Jan. 5 incident has become a safety and reputational crisis for the U.S. planemaker that will slow aircraft production and risk it ceding further market share to rival Airbus.

(Reporting By Allison Lampert; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)