Boeing’s chief executive was grilled by US senators on Tuesday about the company’s growing safety and manufacturing deficiencies, as relatives of people killed in two Boeing 737 Max plane crashes looked on.
David Calhoun turned around and apologized directly to families holding photos of their loved ones before facing difficult questions about Boeing’s stated commitment to safety, despite whistleblower complaints and mid-flight emergencies over the years. since those accidents in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people, which have raised intense questions that suggest otherwise.
“I apologize for the pain we have caused,” he told the families.
In prepared remarks, he told the committee that Boeing’s safety culture “is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress.” He reiterated that promise and positive outlook several times under questioning.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations who held Tuesday’s hearing, called Calhoun’s appearance “a reckoning.”
He also pointed to similar promises the company made in the immediate aftermath of the 737 Max 8 crashes, which evidence shows were not kept.
“In fact, there is almost overwhelming evidence, in my opinion as a former prosecutor, that prosecution should begin,” he said during his opening remarks.
Calhoun’s appearance before Congress was the first by a senior Boeing official since a panel exploded on a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. No one was seriously injured in the incident, but it raised new concerns about the company’s best-selling airliner. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are conducting separate investigations.
Since then, several whistleblowers have come before the committee alleging gaps in oversight and manufacturing shortcuts that prioritize speed and profits over safety.
Hours before Calhoun’s appearance, the Senate panel published a 204-page report with new allegations from a whistleblower who fears that “non-compliant” parts (those that could be defective or are not properly documented) are entering 737 Max aircraft.
The report concluded that Boeing “continues to prioritize profits, push boundaries, and ignore its workers,” including punishing those who try to come forward and raise concerns.
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Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri accused Calhoun of “strip mining” an iconic American company “for shareholder profit, and you’re being rewarded for it.”
“Why haven’t you resigned?” the senator asked.
“I’m proud to have accepted the job, I’m proud of our safety record, and I’m proud of every action we’ve taken,” Calhoun responded.
“Every action you’ve taken,” Hawley repeated. “Wow.”
Calhoun acknowledged that whistleblowers have been retaliated against within the company, but also said those who did so faced disciplinary action. In both cases, he did not provide specific figures or details.
“I know it happens,” he said.
In recent months, two whistleblowers have died, one of them by suicide after testifying before the Senate committee.
Calhoun, who was appointed to the top job in 2020, has already announced that he plans to step down as CEO at the end of this year. He has not yet named a successor.
Among those in the room were the parents and brother of Danielle Moore, 24, who was aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 that crashed shortly after takeoff in 2019.
The Moore family drove to Washington from Toronto to hold Boeing and its leaders accountable.
“My sister was someone who cared, and what I’m seeing at Boeing is a culture of people who don’t care, who don’t care about the job they’re doing, who don’t care about public safety,” David Moore said in an interview before the hearing.
Chris Moore stood and held a large photo of his daughter directly behind the witness table where Calhoun testified, joining a sea of family members who held up reminders of their losses for the CEO and senators to see. .
“I feel like (Danielle) right now is moving us to…hold Boeing and even the FAA accountable,” he told Global News. “There’s a lot of blame to go around here.”
Clariss Moore, Danielle’s mother, cried out through tears, “how could you, Boeing and the CEO, let that happen?” as Calhoun entered the courtroom. Other attendees shouted “shame.”
From left, David Moore, Clariss Moore and Chris Moore, brother and parents of Danielle Moore, speak with Global News in Washington, DC, before Boeing CEO David Calhoun’s testimony in the US Senate on June 18, 2024. Danielle Moore was one of the passengers on a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane that crashed in Ethiopia in 2019, killing everyone on board.
Brett Carlson / Global News
Calhoun’s testimony comes as the U.S. Justice Department considers whether to prosecute Boeing for violating a 2021 agreement following the fatal crashes.
The department determined last month that Boeing violated terms of the agreement that protected the company from being prosecuted for fraud for allegedly misleading regulators who approved the 737 Max. A senior department official said Boeing made no changes to detect and prevent future violations of anti-fraud laws.
Prosecutors have until July 7 to decide what to do next.
Boeing says it slowed production, encouraged employees to report safety concerns, paused assembly lines for a day to allow workers to talk about safety and appointed a retired Navy admiral to lead a quality review. Late last month, it delivered an improvement plan ordered by the FAA.
However, that hasn’t stopped the bad news for Boeing.
Last week, the FAA said it was investigating how falsely documented titanium parts made their way into Boeing’s supply chain, and federal officials examined “substantial” damage to a Southwest Airlines 737 Max after an unusual mid-flight control problem. .
Boeing revealed that it has not received a single order for a new Max (previously its best-selling plane) in two months.
Chris Moore said he wants to see a criminal trial to bring to light the truth behind the company’s culture.
“I don’t fly anymore,” he said. “And it’s not because I’m afraid. It’s because I don’t want to support this industry.”
– with files from Jackson Proskow of Global and Associated Press
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
