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 and a Boeing whistleblower testified to Senate lawmakers about a problematic safety culture at Boeing, where engineers are reluctant to report concerns or have their warnings disregarded.
The FAA panel's report, initiated after the 737 Max crashes, highlighted a "disconnect" in Boeing's safety culture and issued 53 recommendations, while the whistleblower called for a global grounding of 787 Dreamliners due to alleged manufacturing shortcuts.
These revelations, following incidents like the recent 737 Max 9 door plug detachment, have led to ongoing governmental scrutiny, with the FAA mandating Boeing to submit a comprehensive safety improvement plan 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.