Witnesses against Boeing: 'I'm here because I don't want to see a 787 or a 777 crash'

“I'm here because I don't want to see a 787 or a 777 crash,” said one of the witnesses who testified against Boeing before a US Senate investigating committee, alleging serious safety problems.

Four public interest witnesses, including an engineer and others Former Boeing employeesHe testified yesterday, Wednesday, before the US Senate Investigative Committee and warned of its existence “Serious problems” in production processes Of the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777 models of the American aviation giant.

Witness against Boeing: “I was ignored. I stepped aside. They told me to plug it in.”

“I am not here because I had any desire to come here. I am here because (…) I don't want to see a 787 or 777 crashSam Salbor, a quality control engineer at Boeing for seventeen years, told senators he had “serious concerns about the safety of the 787” and 777. “I was ignored. I stepped aside. They told me to deliver it. The engineer continued: “I have received threats against my physical safety.” “If something happens to me, my conscience is clear because I feel that (…) by testifying publicly, I will save the lives of many people.”

The Senate investigation began with a letter from industry lawyers to the FAA. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the investigative committee, said the hearing, which lasted nearly two hours, was the first in a series during which Boeing and FAA officials will be called to testify. “They are happening Increasingly serious charges“Boeing’s safety culture has collapsed and its practices are unacceptable,” Blumenthal said, confirming that he had received many of these certificates in recent days.

“We know we still have a lot of work to do and are taking action across the group,” the manufacturer admitted after the hearing. “Retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing,” he stressed, also noting that since January The number of reports of production problems submitted by its employees increased by 500% year-on-year. The group emphasized: “We continue to put safety and quality above everything else,” expressing “confidence” in “the safety and durability of the 787 and 777 aircraft.”

Witness against Boeing: 'The Max is still unsafe'

In addition to Mr. Salbor, Ed Pearson, a former Boeing executive who was particularly involved in the 737 MAX program, Joe Jacobsen, who worked for 25 years at the FAA after 11 years at Boeing, and Sean Proschnicki, an aviation security specialist, also testified. , a former commercial airline pilot. “I did everything I could to tell people how Max is still insecure “And to alert the authorities to the risks involved in Boeing’s production,” Mr. Pearson explained. But “nothing changed after the two incidents.”

The 737 MAX was grounded for an extended period around the world following the crisis Two accidentsin 2018 and 2019 (346 deaths) due to problems in its design, particularly its loss-of-support avoidance software, MCAS, about which pilots were not informed or trained. Pearson said that unless there is “action” and if Boeing leaders do not assume their “responsibilities,” every person who “boards an aircraft” belonging to the American industry “will be at risk,” adding that the monitoring carried out by the Federal Aviation Administration is “ineffective.” . It is backward, rather it is a “reaction” to problems.

The Civil Aviation Authority said Boeing must “commit to making real and profound improvements” and “we are committed to holding them accountable every step of the way.” Mr. Blumenthal has already asked the Justice Department to check whether Boeing kept the deal it struck in 2021 to avoid a lawsuit over the two incidents. There is no doubt that what was revealed at the hearing will increase the pressure even further. After Mr. Salbor's complaint, the FAA began investigating both types.

The “criminal” cover-up in the Alaska Airlines crash

Now three out of four models of commercial aircraft manufactured by the American industry are subject to investigations by the supervisory body. It's looking at the entire 737 family after the Jan. 5 incident, when part of the 737 Max 9 broke off Alaska Airlines On a plane. It was to this incident that Mr. Pearson complained that this had happened “Criminal” cover-up. When Boeing said, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, it had no documentation on file about the handling of that part at the plant. Pearson responded that the documents “exist,” and explained that he knew this because “I personally sent them to the FBI,” the federal police, “months ago.” An NTSB spokesman said yesterday that the agency had not received “any documents” on the matter from Boeing or “any other entity.”

With information from APE – BEE