San Francisco, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A Boeing passenger plane of Japan's All Nippon Airways Airlines malfunctioned when it landed at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido on April 24, and the fuselage leaked oil and smoked, but fortunately there were no casualties. In addition, the Boeing Company of the United States recently reappeared as a "whistleblower", and two engineers said that they were retaliated against because they disagreed with the management over the technical matters of the aircraft.
At the same time, Boeing's financial report released on the 24th showed that the number of civil aircraft delivered by the company in the first quarter and its revenue in the current quarter decreased compared with the same period last year. Dave Calhoun, the company's president and chief executive, said Boeing's focus right now is on reorganizing production, not financial performance.
Boeing's "tough times"
According to Boeing's financial report, affected by the decline in 737 aircraft deliveries and the grounding of 737 MAX 9, the company delivered 83 civil aircraft in the first quarter, down 36% year-on-year, and revenue in the first quarter was $16.57 billion, down 8% year-on-year, but although the company lost $355 million in the first quarter, the loss narrowed from $425 million in the same period last year.
Boeing said in its earnings report that Boeing Commercial Airplanes is implementing a comprehensive action plan to address feedback from the FAA's audit of the production of the 737.
In a statement at the end of February, the FAA asked Boeing to develop a comprehensive action plan within 90 days to address its "systemic quality control issues."
In the short term, Calhoun said, "we're in a tough time," and Boeing will take the time necessary to strengthen its quality and safety management systems to make the company have a stronger, more stable future.
Calhoun announced on March 25 that he would step down at the end of 2024 and said he would continue to lead Boeing through ongoing work before leaving office.
"Whistleblowers" one after another
"Whistleblowers" who expose problems in Boeing's aircraft manufacturing process continue to appear.
Reuters reported on the 23rd, citing the American Association of Aerospace Professional Engineering Employees, that two Boeing employees were authorized by the FAA to perform some regulatory and certification functions. In 2022, they insisted on following the FAA's new guidelines around the technical aspects of the onboard computer systems of the Boeing 777 and 787 family airliners. However, the superiors did not agree because they would increase costs and delay production. After almost six months of stalemate, with the support of the FAA, the superiors had to agree.
The Association of Aerospace Professional Engineering Employees complained to the National Labor Relations Board last week that the two employees were later given negative ratings by Boeing. One of the employees has left the company.
Boeing issued a statement in response saying that it has "zero tolerance" for retaliation against employees, but has not found evidence to support such claims. The FAA said on the 23rd that it was conducting an investigation.
In addition, John Barnett, a 32-year Boeing man, was found to have died in March after exposing quality control problems with Boeing, and he was scheduled to testify about a lawsuit against Boeing in the near future.
The New York Times reported on the 9th that Boeing quality engineer Sam Salepul was concerned about Boeing's quality control. Salepul said the Boeing 787 fuselage assembly involved assembling large fuselage components from different suppliers, and Boeing employees pushed and shoved the assembly together, causing the fuselage composite material to be deformed. Mr. Salepur said he had repeatedly reported the situation within Boeing, but instead of being taken seriously, he was retaliated against, ostracized and physically threatened.
Sacrificing security for profit?
Boeing has more than 1,000 engineers authorized by the FAA to supervise the work. They are required by law to have "a commitment to safety above all other priorities" and not to be disrupted by Boeing's management's cost and schedule requirements. Boeing has previously pledged to prioritize safety over cost and schedule, maintain an open culture, and protect employees who raise safety concerns.
Industry insiders believe that if an engineer is retaliated against by Boeing for raising safety concerns, it means that the company's promises cannot be trusted.
After the major crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in October 2018 and March 2019, Boeing's safety culture has been in the spotlight. Some engineers claim that Boeing management interfered in the 737 MAX development process to limit safety testing.
Peter Robison, a veteran American journalist and writer, pointed out in his book "Blind Flight" that after Boeing acquired its rival McDonnell Douglas in 1997, it replaced the previous culture of engineers with the pursuit of profits by catering to capital. The profit-centered orientation enables Boeing to compress and simplify the company's management, R&D and production. In order to compete with the new Airbus model, Boeing rushed to launch the 737 MAX without sufficient testing and verification, laying a hidden danger for future flight safety.
In January, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 flew with a door plug dropped. The FAA's six-week comprehensive audit of the production of the Boeing 737 MAX found a number of problems. According to the Associated Press, the "door drop" accident brought two plane crashes back into the public eye, forcing Boeing executives to talk less about finances and more about safety. (Reporter: Wu Xiaoling, Hui Xiaoshuang; editors: Chen Dan, Xu Xiaolei, Yang Shuyi, Diao Ze)