The Claims and Their Summary
Boeing is facing severe accusations from the Foundation for Aviation Safety, a well-known US campaign group. The group claims that Boeing concealed crucial information about electrical problems on a plane that crashed in Ethiopia in 2019. According to the foundation’s assertions, the 737 Max had a history of the issues leading up to the tragedy, one of which was an “uncommanded roll” at an extremely low altitude.
Information on the Ethiopian Disaster
Significant events in aviation history occurred shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa in March 2019, with the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. It was the second fatal disaster involving a 737 Max since late 2018—the first being off the coast of Indonesia—and the plane in question was a newer variant. Both disasters were associated with problems with the 737 Max’s flight control system. Thus, the plane has been under heavy investigation ever since.
Documents and Claims Made by the Foundation
Allegedly including the Ethiopian Airlines plane’s construction records, the Foundation for Aviation Safety has posted a stack of papers online. According to these papers, which Boeing workers allegedly leaked, the plane had a lot of technical issues when it was being built. These shortcomings, according to the foundation, are a result of Boeing’s 737 factory’s disorganized and poor production procedures, which they say played a role in the planes’ disaster.
A scarcity of electrical components, badly laid wiring, and undue pressure on workers to fix broken parts are some of the main points brought up. The cause of these issues may have been connected to electrical problems that the plane had just before the tragedy, according to the foundation.
Analyzing the Problems in Depth
Reportedly, three weeks after the plane was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines, one document details an incident that involved the same plane. The aircraft had an “uncommanded roll” at low altitude during landing preparations, which was caused by intermittent wiring problems, according to this paper. According to the foundation, the concealment of these records from the public, law enforcement, government officials, and airline passengers may have enabled systematic problems at Boeing’s production to continue.
Responses and Investigations by the Government
The official assessment from the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau seemed to back up some of the foundation’s worries, indicating that production-related flaws could have caused the sensor failures that led to the catastrophe. However, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) disagreed and said that the malfunctioning sensor was caused by something external, such a bird, and not by manufacturing flaws.
Boeing has maintained that the foundation’s assertions are unfounded and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to the concealing of documents. Firm officials maintain that they have been completely forthright and comprehensive in their collaboration with law enforcement.
What Boeing Has Done and Is Doing
Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s new chief executive officer, has pledged to restore confidence in the company by enhancing safety and quality in the wake of the scandals. He is no longer based out of the Arlington offices but has instead moved to Seattle to be nearer to the production facilities.
The FAA requires Boeing to implement a “corrective action plan” to improve quality control and safety procedures. On the other hand, others have argued that the FAA isn’t doing enough to ensure quality control, citing instances where production line improvements were insufficient even though the FAA was aware of them.
In summary
There are serious worries regarding the aviation industry’s production quality and safety, and the accusations against Boeing highlight those worries. With these issues under constant public and official scrutiny, the discussion rages on as the corporation and regulatory organizations strive to resolve them.
