Boeing Workers Reluctant to Speak Up, FAA Panel Tells Senate

There's a disconnect between the aerospace giant's management and what is seen and experienced by technicians and engineers, lawmakers are told in a hearing Wednesday.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 05:58 PM ET

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A panel of aviation safety specialists testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on a review of Boeing's safety culture Wednesday. [Credit: C-Span/ screenshot]

Key Takeaways:

An FAA-appointed panel found that Boeing's safety culture discourages engineers and technicians from reporting concerns, citing fear of retaliation or having their input ignored despite management's stated commitment to speaking up.
A Boeing engineer and whistleblower testified separately, alleging production shortcuts on 787 and 777 aircraft that could lead to safety risks and called for the grounding of all 787 Dreamliners.
These testimonies, following previous 737 Max crashes and a recent door plug incident, highlight ongoing concerns about Boeing's production quality and safety oversight, leading to increased government scrutiny and a demand for Boeing to submit a comprehensive improvement plan.

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Engineers and technicians responsible for the building of Boeing aircraft are reluctant to speak up about safety concerns, and when they do, they are not being heard, a panel of witnesses told Senate lawmakers Wednesday.

Three members of an FAA-appointed safety panel created to review Boeing’s safety culture following 737 Max crashes appeared before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in Washington, D.C., to review its findings in a February report that were critical of the aerospace giant.