Boeing CEO David Calhoun Acknowledges Mistake after Alaska Airlines Incident
In a staff-wide “safety meeting” on Tuesday, Boeing CEO David Calhoun openly acknowledged the company’s “mistake” in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident. An Alaska Airlines flight carrying 177 people made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, after part of the wall of a weeks-old 737 Max 9 aircraft detached, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. The incident has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ground most Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft around the world as they and Boeing investigate the cause of the incident.
During the safety meeting, Calhoun spoke of approaching the situation with complete transparency and working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine the cause of the accident. A company source told CNN that Boeing believes “the mistake in question” was introduced in the aircraft’s manufacturing supply chain, but it is not immediately clear if Calhoun identified any specific error during the presentation.
Despite the severity of the situation, no one was killed or seriously injured in the mid-flight accident. The company praised the actions of the flight crew as well as Alaska Airlines for their handling of the situation.
The NTSB is now investigating the incident, with a preliminary report expected in three to four weeks. The White House is also closely tracking the grounding of many Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes for inspection as investigations continue. Meanwhile, lawmakers are calling for hearings to evaluate Boeing’s engineering and safety standards as well as the quality of oversight provided by the FAA and other relevant government agencies.
Boeing’s stock has taken a hit as investors grow concerned about potential damage to its business, falling 8% on Monday and an additional 1.5% on Tuesday. Nonetheless, Boeing and Airbus remain the only two major global aviation companies, and Boeing’s backlog of orders suggests that the company’s future remains relatively secure.
The incident is the latest in ongoing safety and quality issues for Boeing in recent years, particularly related to the 737 Max’s design, which was blamed for two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The design flaws brought into question the decision-making process at Boeing, making the company the subject of significant public scrutiny in recent years.