A report released Monday by a panel of experts selected by the Federal Aviation Administration found a “disconnect” between Boeing’s senior management and the rest of the company on issues such as safety culture.
Congress requested the review after two 737 Max 8 planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The FAA selected the committee for the report, which convened for the first time in early March 2023.
The panel’s report included recommendations for FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to implement based on the observed deficiencies.
“The panel of experts observed a disconnect between Boeing’s senior management and the rest of the organization regarding safety culture,” the report states.
The committee also found in the report that “inadequate and confusing implementation” of the components of a positive safety culture was observed, and that managers were not required to evaluate employee reviews or report their own reports. He said this could cause “hesitancy” as they may be authorized to carry out investigative work within the chain. I stopped reporting safety concerns for fear of retaliation. ”
Although the committee was not tasked with investigating specific incidents, several quality issues regarding Boeing were raised during the committee’s work on the report.
“These quality issues amplified the panel’s concerns that safety-related messages and actions were not being permeated throughout Boeing,” the document said.
The report follows a period of intense scrutiny of Boeing after the door plug blocking the emergency exit of a 737 Max 9 plane came off mid-air on January 5th. The incident prompted the FAA to ground the Max 9 aircraft for several weeks, leading to thousands of flight cancellations. of flight.
The committee said Boeing has six months to consider the recommendations, develop an action plan to implement them, and share that plan with the FAA.
In a statement shared with HuffPost, Boeing said it cooperated with the committee’s review and appreciated its efforts.
“We have taken important steps to foster a culture of safety that empowers all employees to share their views,” it said in a statement. “However, there is still work to do. We will carefully consider the panel’s evaluation, learn from its findings, and continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs.”
Following the release of the report, the FAA said in a statement that it “immediately begins a thorough review of the report and, if appropriate, determines next steps regarding the recommendations.”
“We continue to hold Boeing to the highest standards of safety and are committed to ensuring the company comprehensively addresses these recommendations,” the statement said.
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