A Senate panel slammed Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun on Tuesday for the company’s safety and quality issues, a slew of whistleblower allegations of company retaliation and corner-cutting, and his own compensation package.
Calhoun, who said in Spring that he will step down near year’s end, supported the planemaker’s activities to attempt to further develop manufacturing quality and to fix its marred safety reputation directly following a midair door-panel blowout on an Alaskan Airlines trip in January.
Calhoun Replacement
The organization has still not named a trade for Calhoun, who took over after its past chief was removed for the treatment of two lethal Boeing crashes.
Calhoun stated: “Much has been said about Boeing’s culture. We’ve heard those concerns loud and clear. Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress.”
Whistleblower Claims
Hours before the meeting the Senate subcommittee delivered whistleblower claims on Tuesday from Sam Mohawk, a quality-assurance investigator at Boeing, claiming the organization forgot about parts that were damaged or not up to scratch and that “those parts are likely being installed on airplanes.”
Mohawk flagged components that were produced at Boeing’s Renton, Washington, plant, where the company manufactures its most popular 737 Max.
Retaliation Target
A memo that was distributed by the committee on Tuesday stated that Mohawk claimed he was the target of retaliation and that supervisors instructed him to conceal evidence from the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to the memo, Mohawk alleged in claims with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that dozens of crucial components, including 42 rudders, winglets, and stabilizers, were stored outside during an FAA inspection.
Mohawk’s Complaint
According to Mohawk’s complaint, which the subcommittee also made public, Boeing issued a written warning against Mohawk stating that he engaged in “unacceptable/disruptive behavior or communication.”
It said he could be “discharged” if his behavior continued. Mohawk also said that during his shift, the company cut back on staff, making it harder to finish things.
Boeing Response
The company received the claims on Monday night and is reviewing them, according to a Boeing spokeswoman.
According to her: “We continuously encourage employees to report all concerns as our priority is to ensure the safety of our airplanes and the flying public.”
Report Increases
Since the door-plug blowout in January, the FAA said that the number of reports from Boeing employees has increased.
“We thoroughly investigate every report, including allegations uncovered in the Senate’s work,” the organization said Tuesday. The FAA declined to discuss the particulars of the most recent allegations.
Past Settlements
Boeing’s situation is made even more complicated by the hearing and the new claims made by whistleblowers.
The Justice Department said last month that the plane maker violated a 2021 settlement related to the 346 deaths in 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that could result in U.S. prosecution.
Agreement Lapsing
Just a few days after the Alaska Airlines incident in January, that agreement, which shielded the company and its executives from criminal charges connected to the crashes, would have come to an end. The Department of Justice has until July 7 to choose whether to indict.
The hearing on Tuesday was attended by a number of the victims’ families. Late last month, relatives of Max crash victims met with DOJ officials to demand prosecution.
Calhoun’s Apology
Toward the beginning of the meeting, Calhoun stood and apologized to the casualties’ families, a significant number of whom held photographs of their lost friends and family.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., stated, “We’re here because we want Boeing to succeed.” But he went on to say: “It’s not enough for Boeing to shrug its shoulders and say, ‘Mistakes happen.”
Blumenthal’s Questioning
Blumenthal held up a document and referred to it as “complete gobbledygook” as he lashed out against Boeing’s responses to the subcommittee’s request for additional information.
The organization is attempting to get rid of quality imperfections on jets and lessen supposed traveled work in which production steps are finished out of order, something it has done to address defects.
Boeing’s Defence
Last month, Boeing highlighted a large group of different changes to urge laborers to make speak up about issues in its manufacturing plants after a few informants raised worries about quality issues and retaliation.
Calhoun defended the company’s handling of whistleblowers and claimed that some employees had been fired as a result of retaliation. However, he did not name the employees because he wanted to protect their privacy.
R-Mo. senator Josh Hawley blamed Calhoun and Boeing for “strip mining” the organization by compromising and reprimanded his remuneration package of almost $33 million, up 45% last year from 2022.
