In a room filled with families of crash victims, Boeing’s CEO was questioned by senators.
Dave Calhoun appeared before Congress for the first time since an incident in January involving a 737 Max 9 door plug.
Addressing the families of two crashes involving Boeing 737 Max 8’s in 2018 and 2019, Calhoun expressed his apologies.
“I apologize for the grief that we have caused,” he stated.
During the hearing, Calhoun took responsibility for the two crashes, attributing them to design flaws in the MCAS system and Boeing’s negligence, resulting in the loss of 346 lives.
Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut opened the hearing, describing it as a “moment of reckoning,” highlighting that Boeing had deviated from its core values.
“We discovered that these tragedies were the result of deliberate choices to prioritize production speed over safety and profits,” Blumenthal stated.
Calhoun defended Boeing’s efforts to rectify engineering flaws and prevent manufacturing errors like the door plug incident from recurring.
“While our culture isn’t flawless, we are taking steps and making progress. We recognize the severity of the situation and are committed to transparency and accountability moving forward,” Calhoun affirmed.
Sentator Josh Hawley of Missouri intensely questioned Calhoun about his substantial salary of $32.8 million, implying that Boeing was compromising safety for profits and mistreating employees.
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Prior to the hearing, a report released by the Senate detailed allegations from a whistleblower, Sam Mohawk, regarding the use of unauthorized parts by Boeing.
Mohawk, a former quality assurance investigator at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington, accused Boeing of using faulty parts without proper documentation, concealing this information from regulators.
Boeing acknowledged instances of whistleblower retaliation and stated that some individuals had faced consequences for reporting such issues.
The Justice Department is reviewing potential charges against Boeing for violating terms of previous settlements related to the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
Prior to the hearing, families of crash victims demanded accountability and legal action against Boeing.
Prosecutors are expected to announce their decision by July 7.
