The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday, the second day of a factual hearing into the midair door plug blowout earlier this year that’s cast a spotlight on Boeing, that the planemaker needs a major safety shakeup, including improved paper trails for manufacturing and an atmosphere where employees can speak up without fear of retribution — otherwise another accident could be on the horizon.
During the hearing, where Boeing and its fuselage manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems have spoken in detail about how they’re improving processes to bolster safety, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said that all “sounds great on paper.” However, she suggested that there’s been a disconnect between upper management that lays out processes and line workers that execute them that she fears hasn’t been addressed.
“In reality, that’s not what’s happening,” Homendy said. “And it’s causing safety issues, repeated safety issues. We’re concerned … [that] we’re going to be right here again in a couple of years unless … a major shake-up occurs.” Homendy also said NTSB will initiate its own safety culture survey of Boeing’s employees.
As part of its safety enhancements made in 2019 after two deadly 737 MAX crashes, Boeing launched its “Speak Up” reporting program for employees to flag hazards.
