WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - National Transportation

Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy said staff at the agency

would like to complete its probe into the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines

Boeing 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency by early next year.

"I think they would like to finish in 12 to 14 months" from

the time of the incident, Homendy told Reuters late Wednesday,

adding it depends on the NTSB getting the information it needs.

The NTSB also needs to complete a safety culture survey of

employees at Boeing's ( BA ) 737 MAX factory in Renton,

Washington that it plans to begin soon.