FAA Critical of Boeing Safety Culture

The agency's 50-page report cites areas where the aerospace giant needs improvement.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 04:51 PM ET

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The FAA brought in several outside sources to review Boeing's safety culture and found it lacking in many places, including internal oversight. [ Ian Dewar Photography/Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A new FAA-commissioned report reveals a significant disconnect between Boeing's senior management and engineering employees regarding safety oversight, identifying an inconsistent and inadequately implemented safety culture.
The report highlighted issues such as employee fears of retaliation for reporting safety concerns, a lack of awareness of safety metrics, and insufficient "human factors" consideration in aircraft design.
It also noted a reduction in senior engineers at Boeing, impacting its ability to perform delegated FAA oversight functions.
The report provides over 50 recommendations, requiring Boeing to submit an action plan within six months to the FAA, focusing on establishing a non-retaliatory process for safety concerns and improving its safety programs.

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A 50-page report commissioned by the FAA and released Monday calls attention to “a disconnect between Boeing’s senior management and engineering employees with respect to safety oversight.”

The report, compiled and written by a panel of independent aviation experts, including representatives from several airlines, unions, academic institutions, and manufacturers of components used in Boeing commercial aircraft, identifies multiple soft spots in Boeing’s present safety culture.