Boeing CEO David Calhoun apologized to the families of victims of previous plane crashes involving the company’s planes, including the 737 Max, before being grilled by senators Tuesday during a hearing on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal invited the families to the highly anticipated hearing, and many came holding posters of loved ones killed, including in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 off Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 near Addis Ababa in 2019.
Before Calhoun began his opening statement, he turned and faced the families.
“I apologize for the grief we have caused,” he said. “We are focused on safety.”
Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun addresses relatives of Boeing airplane crash victims before he testifies at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Investigations Subcommittee hearing to examine “Boeing’s broken safety culture” on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 18, 2024.
Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images
Blumenthal thanked the families for joining the hearing.
“The issues before us today have real human consequences [and] real Life and death results,” the senator said.
In his opening statement, Blumenthal hearing pressed Calhoun on whether the executive has made progress in turning the company around.
The senator mentioned the incident in January when a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 shortly after takeoff. He said that the “façade quite literally blew off the hollow shell that had been Boeing’s promises to the world.”
“Mr. Calhoun, you were brought in turn this company around,” Blumenthal said. “But instead of asking what has caused Boeing’s safety culture to erode, you and your colleagues in the C-suite have deflected blame, looked the other way, and catered to your shareholders instead.”
The hearing came after not long after Blumenthal said he received new information about Boeing’s questionable practices.
His office said on Tuesday said a current Boeing employee has come forward as a whistleblower identified the employee as Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector for Boeing in Renton, Washington.
Mohawk alleges that Boeing is cutting corners by losing track of parts that have been labeled as non-conforming or not up to design standards, according to Blumenthal. Sometimes these parts get a second chance because they can be fixed or were mislabeled, but often they should be discarded. Still, the parts sometimes end up in newly built airplanes, Mohawk said, according to the senator.
A Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft piloted by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chief Steve Dickson lands during an evaluation flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. September 30, 2020.
Lindsey Wasson/Reuters
“He said that he has been told by his supervisors to conceal this evidence from the FAA, and that he is being retaliated against as well,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
A Boeing spokesperson said the company had received on Monday evening the documents supplied to Blumenthal by the whistleblower. The company is reviewing the claims now, the spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“We continuously encourage employees to report all concerns as our priority is to ensure the safety of our airplanes and the flying public,” the spokesperson said.
The latest whistleblower stepped forward as Calhoun prepared to sit for a Senate hearing on his company’s “broken safety culture.” Previous whistleblowers have accused the Arlington, Virginia-headquartered company of cutting corners on safety practices as it builds aircraft.
Calhoun in January said Boeing was “accountable for what happened” during the Alaska flight.
“Whatever the specific cause of the accident might turn out to be, an event like this must simply not happen on an airplane that leaves one of our factories,” he said at the time. “We simply must be better. Our customers deserve better.”
ABC News’ Clara McMichael contributed to this report.
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg issued a heartfelt apology to the families of the victims of the two deadly plane crashes involving the company’s 737 Max aircraft. The crashes, which occurred in Indonesia and Ethiopia, claimed the lives of 346 people and raised serious concerns about the safety of Boeing’s planes.
In a statement released ahead of a Senate hearing on aviation safety, Muilenburg expressed his deep regret for the tragic loss of life and acknowledged the pain and suffering that the families of the victims have endured. He also promised to do everything in his power to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.
The crashes, which occurred within five months of each other, were both linked to a faulty software system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which was designed to prevent the plane from stalling. However, a malfunction in the system caused the planes to nosedive uncontrollably, leading to the fatal crashes.
In response to the incidents, Boeing has been working diligently to address the issues with the 737 Max and implement necessary changes to improve the safety of its aircraft. The company has been working closely with aviation regulators, airlines, and pilots to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure the safe return of the 737 Max to service.
The Senate hearing, which is set to take place in the coming days, will provide an opportunity for lawmakers to question Muilenburg and other Boeing executives about the company’s handling of the 737 Max crisis. It is expected that there will be tough questions about Boeing’s decision-making process, its communication with regulators and customers, and its commitment to safety.
In his apology, Muilenburg emphasized Boeing’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. He acknowledged that the company made mistakes in the design and certification of the 737 Max and pledged to learn from those mistakes to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The families of the victims have expressed gratitude for Muilenburg’s apology but have also called for greater accountability and transparency from Boeing. They are seeking justice for their loved ones and are pushing for changes in the aviation industry to prevent similar accidents from happening again.
As Boeing continues to work towards regaining public trust and ensuring the safety of its aircraft, it is clear that there is still much work to be done. The Senate hearing will be a crucial opportunity for lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to hold Boeing accountable and push for meaningful reforms that prioritize safety above all else.
