What Really Wrecked Boeing
Democracy JournalApr 10
FAA Investigates Whistleblower’s Claims About Boeing Flaws
The Facts
Amid safety concerns about its planes, Boeing faces increased scrutiny after a company engineer filed a report with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), accusing the firm of taking shortcuts during the assembly of its 787 and 777 jets.
According to a letter sent to the FAA in January, lawyers for Boeing's quality control engineer Sam Salehpour claimed that the shortcuts resulted in "drilling debris left in interfaces and deformation of composite material."
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
For years, there have been whistleblower leaks and FAA warnings about the safety of Boeing's planes — those concerns came to a head after a door plug blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Boeing's greed and fixation on profits led the company to cut corners on quality control and created a culture of intimidation. Numerous whistleblowers have spoken out against Boeing's reaction to safety hazard reports, but the company is clearly more concerned with keeping mouths shut than it is with safety.
Pro-establishment narrative
The past few months haven't been great for Boeing, but the aerospace giant can implement simple reforms to restore its reputation. By following in the footsteps of companies like GE, Boeing can recommit to the quality of its aircraft and start investing in its future. As one of the leaders in the aerospace industry, Boeing got a little too cocky, but recent developments can serve as a reminder that even the most successful companies aren't immune to challenges. By tweaking its approach, Boeing can soar above this controversy.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the next commercial supersonic flight will occur by November 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.