Boeing has announced plans to implement design changes to prevent a future midair cabin panel blowout similar to the one that occurred on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 flight in January. The incident led to the grounding of the MAX 9, a ban on expanding production, a criminal investigation, and the departure of key executives. The company is working on retrofitting the changes across the fleet within the year.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting a two-day investigative hearing to determine the cause of the incident. Boeing executives, including Elizabeth Lund and Doug Ackerman, testified about the design changes and quality improvements being made. Lund mentioned that Boeing is still in the process of recovering from the incident, with production levels currently in the 20s per month.
The FAA Administrator acknowledged that the agency was “too hands-off” in its oversight of Boeing before the incident. Employees at Boeing’s factory were found to not always follow required processes, leading to systemic issues. The hearing also focused on factory culture and safety concerns raised by whistleblowers.
Interviews with Boeing employees provided insights into the defects in fuselage components and the heavy workload at the factory. Carole Murray mentioned issues with fuselages coming from Spirit AeroSystems, while Michelle Delgado described the pressure to work long hours due to understaffing.
Boeing has faced further scrutiny for violating investigation rules and is in the process of resolving a criminal fraud conspiracy charge related to two 737 MAX fatal crashes. The company is working to address the issues raised during the NTSB hearing and improve aircraft safety and production processes.
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