A year after Boeing’s door-to-door crisis, more action is needed: the FAA

It’s been a year since the cab door plug blew Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX In the air, Boeing is making improvements. However, the head of the FAA stressed that more work is needed.

Despite the onslaught of protocols to improve oversight of Boeing’s operations, Mike Whitaker, who will step down later this month, said in a blog post that “this is not a one-year project.”

“What is needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that focuses on safety and quality above profits,” Whitaker wrote. “This will require sustained effort and commitment from Boeing, and unwavering scrutiny on our part.”

Investigators found that four key bolts were missing from the door seal of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 when it took off from Portland, Oregon, on January 5, 2024. The panel exploded at 16,000 feet, causing cabin pressure to drop before the flight returned safely to Portland International Airport.

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In short order, Whittaker issued an emergency airworthiness directive, temporarily grounding all Max aircraft built with this type of delivery door. The FAA then issued “a series of unprecedented steps that dramatically change the way we oversee Boeing,” Whitaker said Friday.

Since the accident, Whitaker said more inspectors have been placed on factory floors, and production levels for the 737 MAX have been set. “But more importantly, we asked Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to fix its systemic production quality problems,” Whitaker continued.

Aside from multiple meetings with Boeing leadership at the FAA’s offices in Washington, Whitaker “visited Boeing facilities several times in 2024 to communicate directly with its workforce and get their feedback on the company’s policies and safety culture.”

Whittaker also said he was “informed The importance of robust whistleblowing Program with Boeing CEO and ensure independent FAA Safety Hotline information is shared with all Boeing employees.

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However, in March 2024, A.J Boeing whistleblowers Johm Barnett, 62, was found dead after raising concerns about quality control issues at his former company.

The Charleston County coroner’s office told Fox News Digital that Barnett died from an apparent gunshot wound. Before his death, Barnett was taking legal action against Boeing over actions that allegedly led to his “constructive discharge” in March 2017 and was seeking damages including back wages, lost benefits and emotional distress.

However, as a result of the company’s work, it has “received an increase in employee safety reports over the past year,” Whittaker said.

Whitaker said Boeing continues to implement its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement, active employee engagement and training, and that the FAA is actively monitoring the results and “monitoring closely.” Work in major Boeing facilities“.

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The FAA has conducted an unprecedented number of unannounced audits and continues to conduct monthly status reviews with Boeing executives to monitor progress, Whitaker said.

After a recent mechanics strike shut down production, FAA inspectors remained at the plant and focused on issues like training and making sure planes were stored safely, he said.

However, the FAA is “considering all aspects” of its oversight and said it “will continue to support the NTSB’s investigation into the door seal incident.”

tape	protection	last	It changes	% changes
Bachelor’s	Boeing Company	169.90	-1.98	-1.15%

It will continue to review any recommendations from the NTSB as well as other parties, including the Office of Inspector General, to improve its internal operations.

“Our goal is to develop more dynamic supervision protocols that enable us to anticipate and identify risks before accidents occur,” Whittaker added.