Boeing’s CEO is facing questions from legislators in Washington as pressure rises to explain the flaws that resulted in a panel breaking off one of its jets this month.
Boss Dave Calhoun told reporters ahead of the meetings that he was willing to offer “everything I could.”
However, he declined to comment on a story that said the item was incorrectly placed at one of the company’s operations.
The anonymous account was published online and covered by the Seattle Times.
The message, written by someone claiming to work for Boeing, condemned Boeing’s 737 plane production as “a rambling, shambling, disaster waiting to happen”.
Boeing Boss Faces Washington Grilling After Blow-Out
According to the company’s records, the four bolts designed to hold the door plug in place were not placed when Boeing delivered the 737 Max 9 plane to customer Alaska Airlines.
Eight weeks later, on January 5, the panel blew off shortly after takeoff, scaring passengers and prompting an emergency return to the Portland, Oregon, airport.
No significant injuries were reported, but customers have filed complaints against the corporation since the occurrence, accusing them of negligence.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded 171 additional 737 Max 9 planes with comparable designs for examination, resulting in the cancellation of thousands of flights.
It also recently advised airlines to investigate Boeing’s older 737-900ER models, which share the same door design as Max 9s, though the jets were not ordered out of service.
The whistleblower statement claimed that Boeing should have halted 737 production due to an “alarming” amount of faults discovered during inspections.
Boeing Boss Faces Washington Grilling After Blow-Out
In the instance of this specific plane, Boeing and Spirit employees worked together at a Boeing factory in Washington to identify and resolve concerns before delivery. The whistleblower claims that the bolts were removed throughout the work.
However, according to the post, a final examination of the door did not occur, which the account attributes to a failure in communication caused partly by Boeing’s use of two different computer systems to record and sign off on faults.
According to The Seattle Times, Boeing employees removed the fasteners, citing a different unnamed source.
Mr Calhoun referred inquiries to the National Transportation Safety Board to examine the event.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which have two of the largest 737 Max 9 fleets, have expressed deep irritation with Boeing as the groundings cause turmoil and increased expenses.
In an interview with NBC News, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci stated that there was “no doubt” that the plane came “off the production line with a faulty door”. He added that airline inspections had discovered “many” weak fasteners after the incident.
“I’m more than frustrated and disappointed,” he told me. “I am angry.“
The statements highlight Boeing’s arduous task of restoring faith among its airline customers and the flying public, which was already traumatised by tragic crashes involving its planes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.
Boeing Boss Faces Washington Grilling After Blow-Out
The FAA is scrutinising Boeing’s manufacturing process and reconsidering its current system for approving aircraft, which delegated some of its authority to Boeing.
Kayak, an online travel agency, recently reported that inquiries by people looking to avoid Boeing 737 Max planes had increased 15-fold since the accident.
Mr Calhoun told reporters that he acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
“We fly safe planes – we don’t put [aeroplanes] in the air we don’t have 100% confidence in,” he said. “I’m here today in the spirit of transparency.”
Wheel comes off.
The event has brought other difficulties with Boeing planes, such as the nose wheel of a different Boeing plane model, a 757, which popped off while queuing up for takeoff in the United States on Saturday.
According to an FAA notification, the wheel fell off the Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta and rolled down a hill, injuring none of the 184 passengers or six crew members.
Delta Air Lines reported that the plane was supposed to go to Bogota, Colombia, and passengers were transferred to a replacement trip.
It apologised to clients and stated that the “event remains under investigation”.
Boeing, which discontinued 757 deliveries in 2004, declined to comment on the event.
In response to the ongoing situation with Max 9s, Boeing’s chief executive of commercial aeroplanes, Stan Deal, stated that the plane maker had “let down our airline customers and are deeply sorry for the significant disruption to them, their employees, and their passengers”.
A representative stated that the company had “announced a series of immediate actions to strengthen quality,” which included additional inspections.
Kirkland H. Donald, a retired US Navy admiral, has been appointed to comprehensively evaluate Boeing’s commercial aircraft operations.
SOURCE – (BBC)
