FAA chief calls for ‘cultural shift’ at Boeing, a year after its 737 Max incident

The outgoing head of the FAA, Mike Whitaker, has some advice for the troubled aerospace giant.

A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation’s top aviation regulator says the company needs “a fundamental cultural shift” to put safety and quality above profits.

Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing.

Whitaker, who plans to step down in two weeks to let President-elect Donald Trump pick his own FAA administrator, looked back on his decision last January to ground all 737 Max jets with similar panels called door plugs. Later, the FAA put more inspectors in Boeing factories, limited production of new 737s, and required Boeing to come up with a plan to fix manufacturing problems.

“Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training,” Whitaker said. “But this is not a one-year project. What’s needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that’s oriented around safety and quality above profits. That will require sustained effort and commitment from Boeing, and unwavering scrutiny on our part.”

Boeing on Friday issued an update on steps it has taken to improve safety and quality, including addressing concerns raised by employees and reinforcing their confidentiality protection.

Boeing, which couldn’t build new 737s during a seven-week strike by machinists last fall, said it has strengthened training for mechanics and quality inspectors. The company said it updated a system to display the names of employees who perform metal-stamping work.

The company also said it has “significantly reduced defects” in 737 fuselages built by Spirit AeroSystems, but it declined to provide numbers. Spirit is a key supplier that Boeing is in the process of buying for $4.7 billion.

The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Max jet. Despite a gaping hole in the side, pilots landed the plane safely in Portland, Oregon, and no serious injuries were reported.

A month after the accident, investigators said in a preliminary report that bolts used to help secure the panel were not replaced after work in a Boeing factory.
Whitaker said the FAA will review any recommendations that the safety board makes to improve FAA’s oversight work. Last summer, he admitted that FAA’s scrutiny of Boeing wasn’t good enough.