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 safety panel reported to Senate lawmakers that Boeing engineers are reluctant to raise safety concerns and feel unheard when they do, indicating a significant disconnect in the company's safety culture.
A Boeing whistleblower separately testified, alleging serious production shortcuts in 787 and 777 aircraft that could lead to structural integrity issues and called for the global grounding of 787 Dreamliners.
These revelations come amidst renewed scrutiny following the recent 737 Max 9 door plug incident and previous 737 Max crashes, prompting the FAA to demand Boeing address its safety processes by May 28.

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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.