Second Boeing whistleblower claiming safety issues were ignored dies suddenly
A Boeing whistleblower has died suddenly after developing a severe infection, according to The Seattle Times. Josh Dean, 45, was a former quality auditor for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems since 2019.
Dean’s aunt, Carol Parsons, spoke with The Seattle Times and said Dean was living a healthy lifestyle before he died on the morning of Tuesday, April 30. He had suddenly fallen ill two weeks ago when he went to the hospital for having trouble breathing. Parsons said his condition rapidly deteriorated as he was intubated, developed pneumonia, MRSA — a bacterial staph infection — and suffered a stroke.
In October 2022, Dean reported finding a serious manufacturing defect in how the Boeing 737 MAX jets were constructed and said mechanics improperly drilled holes in the aft pressure bulkhead. Dean said he raised the alarm to management in 2022 but claimed nothing was done about the issue.
Dean was fired in April 2023 after missing a different manufacturing flaw during the same audit which caused a delivery pause at Boeing’s Renton plant.
In August 2023, Spirit announced it discovered improperly drilled holes in Boeing’s MAX aft pressure bulkhead. Dean said at the time he believed those were the same holes he flagged to his superiors.
Dean filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), claiming he was fired because Spirit used him as a scapegoat and covered up the discovery of the improperly drilled holes.
The FAA found Dean’s complaint to be credible.
Dean also filed an aviation whistleblower complaint with the Department of Labor, alleging wrongful termination and gross misconduct by senior-level management at Spirit AeroSystems.
Additionally, Dean provided a deposition against Spirit in a shareholders lawsuit. The case was still pending at the time of his death.
Dean’s death comes less than two months after Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a hotel parking lot in Charleston, South Carolina.
Prior to his death, Barnett had reported compromised safety standard at Boeing and was in the middle of testifying against the plane manufacturer in a whistleblower lawsuit.
“Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family,” A spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems said in a statement. “This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.”
Boeing whistleblower details thousands of gaps in fuselages since 2013
Congress heard details of ongoing safety failures at Boeing on Wednesday, April 17, as employees described the conditions that led to several deadly incidents involving Boeing planes. Whistleblowers detailed Boeing’s safety culture to the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations during an ongoing inquiry.
“A culture of shortcuts, pressure and hostility,” one employee wrote to describe Boeing. “[The company is] a good ole boy network that played by their own rules.”
The public heard from one of the whistleblowers directly. Boeing quality engineer Sam Salehpour testified in front of the committee.
“I have analyzed Boeing’s own data to conclude that the company’s taking manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 program that may significantly reduce the airplane safety and the lifecycle,” Salehpour said.
Salehpour described those manufacturing shortcuts, including a failure to properly fix tiny gaps in the Boeing 787 model’s fuselage assembly. Salehpour said since 2013, Boeing had failed to properly close thousands of gaps at major joints.
“Effectively they are putting out defective airplanes,” Salehpour said.
On top of the safety deficiencies, whistleblowers presented evidence that reportedly showed Boeing mistreated those who spoke out.
“These whistleblowers have come forward at great personal risk,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “In fact, a number of them and others have suffered harassment, isolation, transfers, and even threats of physical violence.”
Blumenthal showed a photo of a bolt that someone drove into the tire of Salehpour’s car.
“I was sidelined,” Salehpour said. “I was told to shut up. I received physical threats. My boss said, ‘I would have killed someone who said what you said in a meeting.’ And then this is not the safety culture when you get threatened by bringing issues of safety concerns.”
Boeing is not the only problem. Testimony revealed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also failing to hold Boeing accountable.
“The attitude needs to change,” Ed Pierson, a former Boeing manager, said. “The attitude right now is Boeing dictates to the FAA, tells the FAA what they will do, what they will accept, and that needs to change.”
“We need more whistleblowers,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said. “Not only in Boeing, but we need them in the airline and their maintenance departments. We need whistleblowers from the FAA. This is a very complex business. They’re complex products. It’s a complex problem.”
One witness testified that it can take months for the FAA to investigate a whistleblower complaint from a Boeing employee.
“I’m hopeful that Mr. Whitaker, the new FAA administrator, will really take on the challenge of changing the culture at the FAA so that FAA is back to doing their job as a regulator,” Joe Jacobson, a former FAA engineer, said. “If they just rubber stamp everything that, you know, the manufacturers do, then it’s really, they’re not doing anything useful.”
Boeing did not send a representative to the hearing, despite the committee’s request to hear from CEO Dave Calhoun. However, Blumenthal said the company has been cooperative and hopes Calhoun will testify in the future.
“A 787 can safely operate for at least 30 years before needing expanded airframe maintenance routines,” Boeing told CBS News in a statement. “Extensive and rigorous testing of the fuselage and heavy maintenance checks of nearly 700 in-service airplanes to date have found zero evidence of airframe fatigue.”
Boeing defends aircraft safety before Senate hearing
Ahead of a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 17, concerning Boeing’s safety, the company is denying allegations by a whistleblower about shortcuts in the production of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft, saying the planes meet all safety standards. Boeing has called the whistleblower’s accounts inaccurate and stands by the company’s safety measures.
The whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, is a former Boeing employee who claimed that assembly processes put “excessive” stress on airplane joints, potentially shortening the aircrafts’ lifespans. He added he saw workers trying to get misaligned parts to fit by “jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.”
In a two-hour presentation with reporters on Monday, April 15, Boeing officials explained stress and impact tests performed on their planes.
Steve Chisholm, Boeing’s chief engineer for mechanical and structural engineering, stated that the company conducted extreme tests on fuselage panels, simulating conditions beyond typical service levels, and observed no growing damage.
“These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft,” the plane-maker said in a statement in response to the claimed. “The issues raised have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight. This analysis has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades.”
The whistleblower is scheduled to testify in Wednesday’s Senate hearing as the FAA investigates his claims.
Dozens of jurors excused as Trump’s hush money trial begins
At least 50 possible jurors were excused after saying they could not be fair regarding former President Trump’s hush money trial. The armorer on the set of “Rust” is sentenced following the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Dozens of jurors excused as Trump’s hush money trial begins
At least 50 of the 96 potential jurors in the first group were dismissed after admitting they could not be fair or impartial in hearing the case. Additional jurors were excused for various other reasons.
This leaves about 34 potential jurors to fill out a questionnaire, answering 42 questions on topics including their media consumption and any connections to the former president.
Trump is facing felony charges related to hush money payments in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts charged against him. Jury selection will continue today and could take up to two weeks, with the trial itself expected to last six to eight weeks.
Tax return: Biden’s earned $619,976; paid $146,629 in federal income tax
As reported on “The Morning Rundown,” April 15 was the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, including President Joe Biden.
The White House released Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s joint tax return, showing the couple earned nearly $620,000 in 2023, with $400,000 coming from the presidential salary. This is up from about $580,000 they earned in 2022.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden paid $146,629 in federal income taxes, an effective federal income tax of 23.7% https://t.co/b8FZ1550TV
The Bidens paid more than $146,629 in federal income tax, with an effective income tax rate of 23.7%.
The White House issued a statement affirming President Biden’s belief that “the longstanding tradition of annually releasing presidential tax returns should continue unbroken,” possibly referencing his 2024 presidential opponent. Trump did not release his tax returns while in office, though six years of returns were made public by the House Ways and Means Committee in 2022.
Reminder this Tax Day:
Trump wants to give his wealthy friends a tax break.
When asked if Trump will release his 2023 tax returns, a campaign spokeswoman told USA Today that the former president “has released more information to the American public about his personal finances than any candidate in history.”
Boeing defends aircraft safety before Senate hearing
Ahead of a Senate hearing on Wednesday, April 17, concerning Boeing’s safety, the company is denying allegations by a whistleblower about shortcuts in the production of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft, saying the planes meet all safety standards.
The whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, is a former Boeing employee who claimed that assembly processes put “excessive” stress on airplane joints, potentially shortening the aircrafts’ lifespans. He added he saw workers trying to get misaligned parts to fit by “jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.”
Found guilty last month, Gutierrez-Reed received the maximum sentence for mistakenly loading live ammunition into a revolver held by actor Alec Baldwin on the Santa Fe set in 2021.
Baldwin, also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, is scheduled for trial on July 10 following his indictment by a grand jury in January.
Report: DOJ to file antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation
The Department of Justice is preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster owner Live Nation, according to a Wall Street Journal report, with the suit expected as soon as next month.
While the exact details have not been disclosed, the Journal reports the DOJ would claim that Live Nation leveraged its dominance in the live event ticketing market in a way that undermines competition.
Live Nation faced scrutiny following Ticketmaster’s site crashing when Taylor Swift concert tickets went on sale in November 2022, with U.S. senators grilling Live Nation’s president during a hearing a few months later.
BREAKING: The Justice Department plans to sue Live Nation/Ticketmaster for running an illegal monopoly over the ticketing industry.
This corporate monopoly charges too much for tickets, exploits venues, and hurts fans and artists.
Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010, with the Journal reporting Live Nation now holds more than 80% of the market for primary ticket sales in the biggest venues in the U.S.
A Ticketmaster spokesperson replied that the company has more competition today than it has ever had.
Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark as No. 1 overall pick in WNBA Draft
Caitlin Clark, known for holding multiple college basketball records, was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever at the 2024 WNBA draft Monday night.
The draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, marking the first time since 2016 that it was conducted in front of fans. Tickets for the event sold out within minutes of going on sale.
In February, Clark announced she was entering the draft instead of playing another year at Iowa.
Clark’s record-breaking college career includes becoming the all-time points leader in men’s or women’s Division I history and the all-time leader in points, assists and 3-pointers in NCAA tournament history.
Now, Clark is aiming to make more history at the professional level.
Senate to investigate claims that Boeing plane could break apart mid-flight
The Senate committee on investigations is opening an inquiry into allegations that there are safety flaws in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. According to the company, the plane is the best-selling passenger wide-body aircraft of all time.
The New York Times reported a Boeing engineer raised concerns that sections of the fuselage in the 787 Dreamliner are assembled in a way that could weaken over time and break apart after thousands of trips.
Whistleblower Sam Salehpour is scheduled to testify at a hearing during the week of April 14. The subcommittee chairman hopes Boeing will show up too.
“Sunlight is a powerful disinfectant and an incentive for a company to do better,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Straight Arrow News. “And I think Boeing has questions that they have to answer to the public that has been raised by these whistleblowers. We’re going to give the whistleblowers a chance to tell their story. I hope Boeing will show up to tell theirs.”
The committee already received a copy of the whistleblower report. Members said it reveals dangerous manufacturing deficiencies that are creating potentially catastrophic safety risks. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also investigating.
According to The New York Times report, the whistleblower said the plane’s fuselage comes in several pieces. They come from different manufacturers, and they are not exactly the same shape where they fit together.
In a statement to The New York Times, Boeing said it is “fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner,” and added, “these claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.”
Despite multiple incidents, including a door panel blowing off an Alaska Airlines plane at 16,000 feet, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wants people to remember that flying is very safe. According to the International Air Transport Association, from 2019 to 2023 there was one aviation accident for every 880,000 flights on average.
“There are obviously problems with Boeing’s quality control system and their subcontracting,” Sen. Johnson told SAN. “Air travel is still likely the safest way of traveling. And what I don’t want to do is take a couple instances, which are obviously regrettable, might have been preventable, and blow that into a great big problem where people are afraid to travel via air.”
Johnson also hopes Boeing executives will come explain themselves and said they have many questions to answer. Specifically, Johnson wants to hear from them about their maintenance schedules.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel amid growing tension between the two countries, and the Justice Department is suing Campbell’s, one of several suits filed against the soup company. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, March 22, 2024.
Blinken arrives in Israel to discuss Rafah, cease-fire talks
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel, landing Friday, March 22, in Tel Aviv amid growing tensions between the two allies over the conflict in Gaza.
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Blinken is set to discuss with Israeli officials the United States’ position that Israel’s planned invasion of the city of Rafah would be a mistake. Rafah is currently a refuge for more than one million Palestinians.
Following meetings with leaders in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Blinken’s visit to Israel aims to address the ongoing crisis. In Cairo, he informed reporters the U.S. is advocating for a deal leading to a temporary cease-fire and the release of more hostages, though he acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, “There is still more difficult work to get there.”
CIA Director William Burns is in Qatar, meeting with other intelligence officials to advance negotiations with Hamas.
Additionally, the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote today on a U.S.-sponsored resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Congress racing to approve $1.2 trillion spending package to avert shutdown
Congress is working quickly to pass a $1.2 trillion spending package to prevent a partial government shutdown before Friday night’s deadline. This package combines six spending bills, primarily focusing on defense.
The bill includes a 5.2% pay raise for service members and allocates funds to the Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, among other departments.
The House must pass the $1.2 trillion spending package with a two-thirds vote. In the Senate, unanimous consent from all 100 senators is required for swift passage. Any dissent could potentially slow the process and delay the package’s approval.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects the bill to pass.
Sen. Bob Menendez won’t seek reelection as a Democrat
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will not seek reelection this year in New Jersey’s Democratic primary but is keeping the door open to an independent run, announced his office following a 14-count federal bribery indictment.
The indictment states that, in exchange for lavish gifts and hundreds of thousands of dollars, Menendez performed ‘official acts’ such as sharing ‘cabinet-level information’ with governments in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, among others.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming they have subjected him and his extensive public service of more than 25 years to “a cloud of suspicion.”
Menendez posted a nine-minute video to social media on Thursday, March 21.
“I know many of you are hurt and disappointed in me with the accusations I’m facing. Believe me, I am disappointed at the false accusations as well,” Menendez said. “All I can ask of you is to withhold judgment until justice takes place. Until then, I will continue to work my heart out each and every day, as I have for the past years, to fight for New Jersey, for you, your family, and a more prosperous, secure future.”
With Menendez stepping out of the Democratic primary, the race is expected to intensify. Democrats are bracing for a fierce primary battle between incumbent Congressman Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy. The state’s November election is anticipated to be highly competitive.
Department of Justice sues Campbell Soup over pollution at Ohio plant
According to the Justice Department, Campbell has been violating pollution limits at its northwestern Ohio plant since 2018. The pollutants identified in the water coming from Campbell’s plant include bacteria and E. coli.
The lawsuit was filed just hours after two environmental groups brought similar suits against the company. These suits seek to have the court fine Campbell for more than 5,000 violations and require the company to upgrade its plant’s wastewater treatment facility.
In response, Campbell issued a statement saying the company is taking the concerns very seriously and is acting to permanently resolve them.
FAA warns of total solar eclipse impacting air travel
In a bulletin titled “Special Air Traffic Procedures,” the FAA alerted travelers to potential disruptions to air travel before and after the eclipse. The agency warned of higher than normal traffic volumes and delays at airports along the eclipse’s path, including in cities like Cleveland, Dallas, and Indianapolis.
Fifteen states are located in what is known as the path of totality, where the moon completely blocks the sun for several minutes. However, every state will experience at least a partial solar eclipse.
For more information, look out for a special report on the total solar eclipse on SAN.com in the coming days.
More than 2,000 brackets remain perfect after 16 games
With the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament underway, many fans are facing busted brackets this morning. However, not everyone is out of the running; some brackets remain perfect.
After 16 games, more than 2,000 brackets are still intact out of over 29 million entries across major online tournament challenges, including those hosted by the NCAA, ESPN, CBS, and Yahoo.
The NCAA noted that most brackets were busted after the first two games, with victories by No. 9 Michigan State and No. 11 Duquesne. The upset of No. 14 Oakland defeating No. 3 Kentucky eliminated even more brackets — 6.5 percent of participants had Kentucky winning the championship.
Despite the widespread bracket failures, fans have made more accurate predictions than last year, when only 787 brackets remained perfect after the first day.
As travel season heats up, one security measure is missing: air marshals
The busy spring break travel period is underway. Millions of Americans are expected to take to the skies, potentially leading to traffic, long lines, crowds and maybe even an unruly passenger.
Unruly passenger incidents peaked in 2021 with nearly 6,000 cases, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and the numbers have decreased since then. The U.S. Air Marshal Service is in charge of handling those unruly passengers — or at least, that’s supposed to be the case.
There have been over 300 incidents already documented so far in 2024. During one incident in February, a man had to be subdued mid-flight when he tried opening the plane’s emergency door on a flight from Albuquerque to Chicago, according to witnesses. However, it wasn’t an air marshal who brought him down. Passengers and crew members wrestled with the man, duct taped his legs and threw flex cuffs on him.
“We always travel in teams,” Sonya LaBosco, the executive director of the Air Marshal National Council said. “So, we’re going to always have teams. What we would have done is subdue that individual very quickly.”
LaBosco said air marshals are not flying on domestic flights right now. The Biden administration has sent many air marshals to the U.S. southern border to help with administrative work.
“I have to tell you, it’s quite alarming and disgraceful that we’ve left the American people alone in the skies for this type of deployment,” LaBosco said.
“They are still on the border,” LaBosco said. “They are still doing non-law enforcement support personnel only duties on the border. And we’re still following the National Capital Region individuals that were in the area for Jan. 6, 2021.”
LaBosco claims air marshals are handing out water bottles and picking up Uber Eats orders at the border.
“You name it, we’re a jack of all trades down there,” LaBosco said. “Anything that you would have someone do that’s a support personnel, that’s picking up supplies, walking around. They may walk around and make sure a gate is secure somewhere or check a box for a delivery, like if someone came in and out and made a delivery to the border patrol station.”
According to LaBosco, air marshals’ only law enforcement duties while in flight currently consist of “Quiet Skies” missions.
“We are on flights today, following individuals that were in the National Capital Region on Jan. 6, nothing has changed, and that program is still active and going,” LaBosco said.
And who are they following? According to LaBosco, they’re following people who flew into Washington, D.C., around the time of Jan. 6, 2021 — even if those people had nothing to do with the Capitol riots or have never been convicted of a crime.
“It’s random people to include children, teenagers, the elderly, paraplegics,” LaBosco said. “Anyone that you can imagine that you see on a regular basis traveling in the airport, that’s who we’re following. We haven’t come up with one bad guy yet. We haven’t come up with one case where someone was trying to take over an aircraft. All those cases were without air marshals on board right. These flight incidents and these rage incidents that you’re seeing, you don’t see any intervention from any law enforcement on any of those planes.”
Since there’s no law enforcement to help intervene on flights, if there’s an emergency, what happens if there’s an unruly passenger situation?
According to LaBosco, if people are traveling with a group, talk to each other before boarding the plane and come up with a plan in case something happens on board the aircraft. Be aware of the surroundings and locate all the exits on board.
”Make sure you hit your call button if you see something suspicious,” LaBosco said. “Give the flight crew an opportunity. You know they’re safety professionals. They’re there to do a lot more than just serve drinks.”
If it’s necessary to take someone down, try to communicate with other passengers, and get them to help restrain an unruly person.
“There’s a lot of things they have in the aircraft to try to you subdue someone,” LaBosco said. “And don’t be afraid to do it quickly because you can’t make any mistakes at 35,000 feet because there’s too much at risk.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, recently introduced the No FAMs at the Border Act, a bill that would put air marshals back in the skies. LaBosco said she supports the measure because air marshals are needed on planes to keep Americans safe.
“That was a very scary flight,” LaBosco said. “But air marshals should be on those flights. We would have been on that flight, that’s a flight we normally would have been on, but because we’re at the border or following Jan. 6 people, we’re not doing any of our regular duties.”
“Contrary to recent media reports, federal air marshals continue to deploy on flights throughout the world protecting travelers based on TSA’s risk-based methodology,” a spokesperson said. “Federal air marshals provide mission critical security throughout the transportation domain to maintain the security of the homeland. Temporary deployments to the southwest border have not affected TSA’s aviation security operations.”
Congress releases spending packages to last through Sept., avoid partial shutdown
Congress took a major step toward avoiding a government shutdown and funding federal agencies through September. Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate jointly released a $435 billion package that will fund specific government functions and programs including the departments of Justice, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as House subcommittees on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and more.
Lawmakers are on track to approve the package before the Friday, March 8 deadline. A vote in the House is expected Wednesday, March 6, then it will be sent to the Senate.
Both parties are putting their own spin on the package to frame it as a victory.
“Democrats fought hard to protect investments that matter to working people everywhere and help keep our economy strong — rejecting devastating cuts to housing, nutrition assistance and more,” Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement. “Importantly, we blocked countless extreme Republican policies — like efforts to restrict abortion rights — that would have set our country back decades.”
“The final Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills achieve what we set out to do: strategically increase defense spending and make targeted cuts to wasteful non-defense programs,” House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, R-Texas., said.
The bill has some items for both sides of the aisle to be happy about.
For instance, Democrats are pleased with the bill’s allocation of $7 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which assists nearly 7 million individuals. It also provides $70 billion for rental assistance and efforts to reduce homelessness.
Republicans highlighted a 10% reduction in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, the package allocates $2 billion more than President Joe Biden’s request for improving barracks and other quality of life projects at military facilities.
There are also non-political victories. The bill provides $20 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, which will be used to hire 1,800 new air traffic controllers and provide additional training.
This compromise minibus bill is expected to pass with a strong bipartisan vote. The House is taking it up under suspension of the rules, meaning it needs a two-thirds majority to be approved, not a simple majority which the chamber normally requires.
This bill represents less than one-third of the government’s discretionary spending, which covers items for which funding levels can be changed each year. The bigger package, both in amount and importance, needs to be approved by March 22. That bill will fund the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as environmental programs and other departments.
NTSB says evidence shows four bolts that hold the door plug in place on the 737 MAX 9 were missing at the time of last month's blowout on Alaska Airlines flight 1282. pic.twitter.com/vjlPhOpKpZ
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) February 6, 2024
Clark, previously the chief mechanic and engineer for the 737, was appointed head of the program in 2021, becoming the fifth person to lead it in four years. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by temporarily grounding all 737 MAX-9 planes.
The investigation into the incident revealed that bolts intended to secure the panel were missing upon departure from the Boeing factory, leading to the FAA restricting Boeing’s production of the 737 MAX-9 jets.
Regulators have curbed Boeing production and the company’s been closely scrutinized by lawmakers and clients since the January incident.
A memo announcing the shake-up from CEO Stan Deal said Boeing was working to ensure that quote “every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements.”
In response to the incident and its implications for safety, Boeing has communicated to its employees through an email about several leadership changes. The company emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety of all its aircraft, indicating a focus on rigorous safety standards and oversight in its operations.
Katie Ringgold is set to become the new vice president and general manager of the 737 program, as announced in the staff memo, according to Reuters.
Boeing also announced Elizabeth Lund as the new Senior Vice President for Commercial Airlines Quality, overseeing quality control and assurance. Mike Fleming will take over her previous role as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Airplane Programs, while also continuing to lead the customer support team.
Boeing safety woes continue, CEO addresses lawmakers on Capitol Hill
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are seeking answers from Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun. The executive is facing questions about passenger safety following recent mechanical issues on Boeing planes.
“We fly safe planes,” Calhoun said to reporters. “We don’t put airplanes in the air we don’t have 100% confidence in. I’m here today in the spirit of transparency to one, recognize the seriousness of what you just asked. Number two, to share everything I can with our Capitol Hill interests and answer all their questions, because they have a lot of them.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded Boeing’s 737 Max 9 jets after a fuselage panel broke off of an Alaska Airlines plane just six minutes into a Jan. 5 flight.
Video shows the inside of the Alaska Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing after a door plug blew out midair in early January. pic.twitter.com/rLWxaPlIi1
Sparks and flames were spotted shooting from a Boeing 747 Atlas Air cargo plane that took off from Miami International Airport on Friday, Jan. 19. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.
Engine fire on Atlas Air Boeing 747 departing from Miami Airport tonight. Flight circled back and landed a few minutes later.
Delta Airlines flight 982 was about to take off from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport when a nose wheel came off the Boeing 757 and rolled down a hill on Saturday, Jan. 20.
the wheel of a Delta Boeing 757 just flew off while it was preparing to take off at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The wheel then rolled down the runway…
could have been catastrophic if it happened a few seconds later
“Delta 982, this is the aircraft looking at you. One of your nose tires just came off, it just rolled off the runway behind you,” a pilot on another Delta flight warned.
All these incidents involved different models of Boeing airplanes. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in any of these events.
Considering the panel incident on the Alaska Airlines flight, investigators believe the panel was not secured with bolts and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating to figure out if Boeing is at fault.
NTSB has recovered the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX. NTSB investigators are currently examining the door plug and will send it to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for further examination. pic.twitter.com/fqeemNeBPW
The FAA grounded all 171 Boeing 737 Max 9s and said the planes will be eligible to return to service after thorough inspections.
Alaska Airlines released a statement saying some of its Max 9s would be put back into service starting Friday, Jan. 26, but only after “rigorous inspections are completed, and each aircraft is deemed airworthy according to the FAA requirements.”
United Airlines’ CEO said its Max 9s are slated to be put back into rotation Sunday, Jan. 28.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled, leaving passengers scrambling to find alternate routes to their destinations, and leaders of the airlines are not holding back their frustration and anger.
“It makes you mad. It makes you mad that we’re finding issues like that on brand new airplanes,” Alaska Airlines’ CEO Ben Minicucci said.
The FAA also announced Wednesday, Jan. 24, that it has decided not to allow production expansion of Boeing’s Max aircraft until quality control issues are “resolved.”