Ed Pearson was traveling from Seattle to New Jersey in 2023, when he ended up on a plane he never wanted to fly on, which prompted him to ask to get off, telling the flight attendants: “I can’t go into detail now about why, but I wasn’t planning on getting off.” To fly Max, and I want to get off the plane.”
Later in the day, Pearson arrived in New Jersey, after Alaska airport staff rebooked him on a different plane, according to the network.CNN“American, which quoted him as saying that spending a whole day at the airport was worth it to avoid traveling on the MAX plane.
Pearson was not an ordinary passenger on this flight, but rather an experienced person with regard to aviation safety, as he has a unique and first-hand perspective on the aircraft manufactured by Boeing, given that he now serves as the CEO of the Aviation Control Group Foundation, which specializes in aviation safety.
He also previously served as a squadron commanding officer among other leadership roles during his 30-year career in the Navy, then 10 years as an employee at Boeing, including 3 years as a senior manager in production support at the Renton plant working on the 737 MAX project before Officially launched.
Pearson is one of many passengers who do not want to board the plane that was at the heart of two fatal crashes over the past years, in addition to an incident that occurred last January 5, when part of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane exploded in the air.
More accidents
The previous model of Boeing, the Max 8, was subjected to two fatal accidents in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the death of a total of 346 people. Investigations attributed the accidents to a defect in the “MCAS” system, which is an automatic system in the Max plane designed to stabilize the plane’s inclination degree, and exceed… Pilot controls manually in some circumstances.
Reports since January showed that numerous loose bolts and faulty holes were behind the accident that occurred several weeks ago, which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily ground 171 Max 9 aircraft.
This was followed by congressional hearings, production and delivery delays, and multiple federal investigations, including a criminal investigation. Boeing stock also lost a quarter of its value this year, resulting in a loss of more than $40 billion from the company’s market value.
Weeks after the Alaska accident, Boeing CEO David Calhoun told investors: “We will cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA. This increased scrutiny, whether it comes from us, a regulator or third parties, will make us better.”
“We caused the problem, and we understand that,” Calhoun added. “Whatever conclusions are reached, Boeing is responsible for what happened.”
An American audit reveals dozens of problems in Boeing 737 MAX production
The New York Times reported that a US Federal Aviation Administration audit of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft production process showed failure in 33 out of 89 tests.
But the bad news did not stop there, as pilots on a United Airlines 737 MAX plane reported last February that the flight controls malfunctioned while the plane was landing in Newark.
In the same month, Boeing removed the head of the Max program from his position and made another reshuffle of senior management positions, as this move came at a time when critics repeatedly said that “the aircraft manufacturer prioritizes profits over safety,” according to “CNN.” .
More than two weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to address quality and safety issues.
Nevertheless, Boeing tells CNN: “Every day, more than 80 airlines operate about 5,000 flights with the global fleet of 1,300 737 MAX aircraft, carrying 700,000 passengers to their destinations safely. The reliability of the family of aircraft exceeds 737 MAX 99%, and is compatible with other commercial aircraft models.
Second worst performance in 2024
The bad start of 2024 for Boeing continued this March, when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, heading from Australia to Chile via New Zealand, encountered turbulence due to a “technical accident,” according to an announcement by the company operating it, causing 12 passengers to be transported to… The hospital, according to emergency services and the airline LATAM.
According to the newspaper “Wall Street JournalChile-based LATAM said the Boeing 787 Dreamliner experienced a “technical event during flight that caused a strong motion,” without revealing further details.
The newspaper quoted a passenger who was boarding the plane when the accident occurred, named Jokat, a 61-year-old Canadian, as saying that after the accident, one of the pilots came to the cabin and said that “his instrument panel turned black for a second or two, before it lit up.” “Again. There was nothing I could do.”
Boeing said it is working to collect more information about the accident.
While some experts told the newspaper:Wall Street Journal“, The devices turning black and the airline describing this as a technical event indicate that air turbulence may not be the main factor that led to the sudden accident.
Two weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration reported anti-icing issues on the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner models, which can cause the engines to lose thrust. The Federal Aviation Administration allowed the planes to continue flying. Boeing said at the time that the problem did not pose an immediate safety risk.
Quotes”CNNThe FAA said Boeing’s safety and quality problems extend beyond its inability to produce administrative work.
“Sudden landing” and passengers “up”… terrifying moments on board a Boeing plane
One of the passengers of the plane that suffered a technical malfunction while flying from Australia to New Zealand, on Monday, described the state of terror that the passengers experienced, and said that the captain of the plane told them that he only had to control it for a short time.
On Monday, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the regulator found problems with “really important” aspects of Boeing’s manufacturing and assembly line.
“It’s not just paperwork,” Whitaker told a news conference. “Sometimes it’s the order in which the work is done. Sometimes it’s tool management.”
Boeing said it is working to resolve many of the issues identified by Whitaker. While the Federal Aviation Administration has instructed the plane maker to submit a plan to fix production problems by late next May.
“Based on the FAA audit, our quality reductions, and the recent expert panel report, we continue to implement immediate changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to enhance safety and quality and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said, noting that it is “directly focused on taking significant, transparently proven actions in Every turn.”
Boeing shares fell by 3% on Monday due to news of the terrifying LATAM flight, and the decline reached another 4.5% on Tuesday, recording the second worst performance in the S&P 500 index, after Tesla shares.
According to CNN, Boeing’s terrible start to 2024 is related to more than its stock price, as the company entered the year with an already bad reputation, and regaining the confidence of airlines, regulators, and passengers has become more difficult with each new accident.
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2024-03-13 06:38:01
