FAA Expert Panel Finds Boeing Safety Culture ‘Inadequate and Confusing’

Alaska Airlines N704AL, a 737 Max 9, which made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport on Jan. 5, is parked on the tarmac in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 23, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP

A panel of experts appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate troubled plane manufacturer Boeing’s safety management processes has found “gaps” in its “safety journey” and a “disconnect” between senior management and employees.

The FAA published its 50-page report on Feb. 26, noting its experts had identified 27 areas where Boeing’s safety procedures and culture were insufficient and that they did not find “objective evidence of a foundational commitment to safety that matched Boeing’s descriptions of that objective.”

The findings are based on the panel’s review of more than 4,000 pages and Boeing documents, seven surveys, and over 250 interviews and meetings with Boeing employees across six company locations.

According to the report, experts observed a “disconnect” between Boeing’s senior management and other members of the organization when it comes to safety culture.

“Interviewees, including [Organization Designation Authorization] Unit Members (UM), also questioned whether Boeing’s safety reporting systems function in a way that ensures open communication and non-retaliation,” the report read.

“The expert panel also observed inadequate and confusing implementation of the five components of positive safety culture: Reporting Culture, Just Culture, Flexible Culture, Learning Culture, and Informed Culture,” it continued.

The report also found a “lack of awareness of safety-related metrics at all levels of the organization” and could not find a “consistent and clear” process for employees to report safety concerns.

“The procedures and training are complex and in a constant state of change, creating employee confusion, especially among different work sites and employee groups,” the report stated.

‘Fear of Retaliation’ Among Employees

Experts also highlighted “hesitation in reporting safety concerns for fear of retaliation,” noting that managers at the plane manufacturer authorized to oversee employee performance evaluations, salary decisions, promoting, and disciplinary actions are also tasked with investigating safety concerns.

That arrangement, the report said, “may discourage employees from submitting safety concerns.”

Elsewhere, the report noted that “serious quality issues with Boeing products became public” during the panel’s activities.

“These quality issues amplified the expert panel’s concerns that the safety-related messages or behaviors are not being implemented across the entire Boeing population,” the expert panel said.

The report listed 50 recommendations to Boeing and advised the company to review the recommendations and develop an action plan within the next six months. Experts also recommended the company tailor documentation and processes associated with safety programs so that they are “clearly understood and followed by employees at all levels of Boeing,” among other things.

The safety plan should also be shared with the FAA, the panel noted.

“While the expert panel found Boeing had initiated efforts and established programs, the findings and recommendations indicate gaps in Boeing’s safety journey,” the panel wrote.

The fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, is seen during its investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 7, 2024. NTSB/Handout via Reuters

“Successful adoption of the recommendations is expected to improve the level of safety provided by Boeing to its workforce, operators, and the public,” they added.

Boeing Responds to Report Findings

The report follows two fatal Boeing crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, but Boeing has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks after a mid-air incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

During that incident, a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 shortly after the flight took off from Portland International Airport in Oregon, leaving a gaping hole in the plane and causing a rapid loss of cabin pressure.

Incredibly, no one was injured during that mid-air blowout, although the incident raised major safety concerns.

The expert panel, however, began probing Boeing in early 2023, prior to January’s mid-air blowout.

In a statement following the report, a Boeing spokesperson said: “We transparently supported the panel’s review and appreciate their work. We’ve taken important steps to foster a safety culture that empowers and encourages all employees to share their voices. But there is more work to do.”

“We will carefully review the panel’s assessment and learn from their findings, as we continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs,” the statement continued.

Meanwhile, the FAA said in a statement that it will “immediately begin a thorough review of the report and determine next steps regarding the recommendations as appropriate.”

“We will continue to hold Boeing to the highest standard of safety and will work to ensure the company comprehensively addresses these recommendations,” the FAA said.

Reuters contributed to this report.