The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of Boeing’s safety culture, the failure to install four key bolts in a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 during production, and other issues were harshly criticized by the board on Tuesday.
The incident, according to NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy, was entirely avoidable because the planemaker had been doing it for at least ten years after numerous internal audits, reports, and other forums.
According to Homendy, “Boarders and the FAA should have been aware of the safety issues that caused this accident.” No one died or suffered serious physical injuries, according to the author. “It’s nothing short of a miracle.”
The NTSB noted that Boeing’s on-the-job training was lacking, adding that the company is working on a design change that will make sure the door plug cannot be closed until it is securely secured.
The US Department of Justice determined that Boeing had broken the terms of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement and opened a criminal investigation following the accident. Within a few months of the midair panel blowout, CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would step down.
Kelly Ortberg has his work cut out for him, Homendy said, and it will take time to accomplish that.
Boeing expressed regret over the collision and was working to improve safety and quality throughout its operations.
Since the Alaska Airlines door-plug accident, the FAA has fundamentally altered how it controls Boeing, according to a statement released on Tuesday from the FAA, and it will continue to do so.
reputation damaged
The FAA has imposed a production cap of 38 planes per month, which is still in place, as a result of the incident, which severely damaged Boeing’s reputation.
The FAA added that while Boeing is progressing, it won’t increase the 737 monthly production cap until it is certain that it can maintain safety and quality while producing more aircraft.
The Boeing company still isn’t aware of the involvement of the 737 MAX 9 door plug, a piece of metal that looks like a door covering an unfilled emergency exit, or its re-installation during production, according to NTSB, which released the information on Tuesday.
In June 2024, former FAA administrator Michael Whitaker claimed that Boeing’s oversight was “too hands off” and that the agency has increased the number of inspectors at the factories for Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing.
Following two fatal 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, Boeing agreed to pay a criminal fraud conspiracy charge in July. However, it reached a plea deal with the US Justice Department to avoid a guilty verdict last month.
The agreement, which will prevent Boeing from pleading guilty or facing oversight by an outsider monitor, has been requested by the Justice Department.
Source: Aljazeera
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