A year after the Boeing door plug crisis, more work is needed: FAA

It has been a year since the cabin door plug was removed Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max In the air, and Boeing is improving. However, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration stressed that more work is needed.

Despite the flurry of protocols to improve oversight of Boeing operations, Mike Whittaker, who is stepping down later this month, said in a blog post that “this is a project Not a year old.”

“What is needed is a fundamental cultural change at Boeing to focus on safety and quality above profit. This will require continued effort and commitment on Boeing's part and close scrutiny on our part,” Whittaker wrote.

Investigators have found that four key screws were missing from the hood of a Boeing 737 Max 9 when it took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5, 2024. The panel exploded at 16,000 feet, depressurizing the cabin. Before flying safely to Portland International Airport.

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

Since the incident, Whittaker said more inspectors have been deployed on factory floors and 737 MAX production levels have been limited. “Most importantly, we asked Boeing to develop a comprehensive plan to address its systematic manufacturing quality problems,” Whittaker continued.

Aside from multiple meetings with Boeing leadership at FAA offices in Washington, Whittaker “made several visits to Boeing facilities in 2024 to directly engage with its workforce and get their feedback on company policies and safety culture.”

Whittaker also said that he has “communicated with this The importance of a strong whistleblower report program with Boeing's CEO and ensure that information from the FAA's independent safety hotline is shared with all Boeing employees.

FAA chief says Boeing needs to focus on safety and quality after accidents

However, in March 2024, A Boeing Whistleblower Jim 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 of what appeared to be a gunshot wound. Before his death, Barnett filed a lawsuit against Boeing seeking damages including back wages, lost benefits and emotional distress over actions he claims led to his “constructive discharge” in March 2017.

However, Whittaker said, as a result of the company's work, “employee safety reports have increased over the past year.”

Whittaker said Boeing continues to implement its comprehensive plan for safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training, and the FAA is actively monitoring the results and “closely monitoring it.” Work at key Boeing facilities”

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Whittaker said the FAA has conducted a record number of unannounced audits and continues to review the status monthly with Boeing executives to monitor progress.

He said that after a recent machinists' strike that halted production, FAA inspectors remained at the plant and focused on issues such as training and making sure the planes were safely maintained.

However, the FAA is reviewing “all aspects” of its oversight and said it will “continue to support the NTSB's investigation into the door fork accident.”

ticker	security	the last	change	change %
B.A	Boeing Co	169.90	-1.98	-1.15%

The agency will continue to consider any recommendations from the NTSB as well as other parties, including the Office of the Inspector General, to improve its internal processes.

“Our goal is to develop more dynamic monitoring protocols that enable us to predict and identify risks before incidents occur,” Whittaker added.