Boeing CEO expresses regret over 737 Max airplane disasters.
During a Senate hearing, Boeing's top exec, Dave Calhoun, apologized to families who've suffered due to Boeing's mistakes. In 2018 and 2019, 346 souls took a flight that ended in tragedy with crashes of 737 Max aircraft from Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines. Calhoun admitted, "We're sorry for the misery we've caused." To honor the victims, Boeing prioritizes safety.
The disasters were set off by a pesky piece of software named MCAS. Designed to lend a helping hand to pilots in certain situations, it instead took them by surprise with a strong and wrong move. Boeing fessed up that they had neglected to inform the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the full extent of pilot training required for the software's operation. Calhoun confessed, "MCAS and Boeing are at fault for these crashes." The 737 Max planes were kept on the ground for close to two years following the second crash while changes were made to the system.
The Senate hearing was prompted by Boeing's recent pressure to sort out their quality control mess. The catalyst was a close call with a nearly new Boeing 737-9 Max in early January.
"Alaska was a production mishap"
During a flight by Alaska Airlines with over 170 passengers, a huge section of the plane tore loose shortly after takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suspects that bolts were missing from the broken-off section. Boeing couldn't come up with the documents related to work on the chunk. Calhoun acknowledged, "Alaska was a production error." He stressed that it was the only recent incident in US aviation where the problem didn't arise from maintenance but from production.
In recent times, Boeing planes from various airlines have been in the news for various mishaps. One shed a tire during takeoff, while another landed with a torn tail panel. During the hearing, a Boeing whistleblower had earlier testified against the company regarding production errors on the 787 Dreamliner. Boeing denies the accusations.
Calhoun ignored specific criticisms but stated that not all warnings turned out to be true. He found reports of a whistleblower being harassed earlier by Boeing "heart-wrenching." However, this happened before his tenure. Calhoun has been running Boeing since early 2020 and plans to exit the role at the end of the year. A successor hasn't been announced yet.
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Following the CEO's apology, Boeing is now facing scrutiny over another incident involving a Boeing 737-9 Max operated by Alaska Airlines. The plane experienced an in-flight structural failure, and Boeing was unable to provide necessary documentation related to the issue. Calhoun acknowledged that the incident was a production error. Furthermore, the 737 Max planes, specifically the ones involved in the 2018 and 2019 crashes, all belonged to the Boeing 737 Max series.
