Dow flies to Baton Rouge after a federal safety report on its Plaquemine plant

Dow flew a Bombardier CRJ-900 from Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport to Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on May 19, a 51-minute hop that arrived just before midnight. The aircraft, tail number N892D, is part of Dow’s corporate fleet and is used to shuttle engineering teams between the company’s Gulf Coast manufacturing sites.

The trip lands the same week the U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its final investigation report into the July 2023 explosion and toxic ethylene oxide release at Dow’s Glycol II plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana, per [csb.gov](https://www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-releases-investigation-report-on-the-2023-explosion-and-toxic-ethylene-oxide-release-at-dow-plant-in-plaquemine-louisiana). The CSB found that metal debris left inside equipment by workers caused a rupture disc to fail, leading to a blast that released more than 31,000 pounds of a known human carcinogen. The report recommended Dow improve inerting and monitoring controls.

The flight follows a pattern of frequent shuttling between Dow’s Texas and Louisiana sites — the same aircraft made at least four similar trips in the week prior. With CEO Jim Fitterling set to transition to executive chair on July 1 and Karen S. Carter taking over as CEO, per [sec.gov](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1751788/000119312526153769/d103960dex992.htm), the company’s operational response to the CSB’s findings is likely a priority for the leadership team on the ground.