In yet another terrible episode involving a Boeing aircraft, a 787 Dreamliner suddenly fell mid-flight on Monday (11), injuring dozens of passengers after the pilot temporarily lost control of the aircraft.
The pilot managed to regain control and land the plane safely, but it is still unclear what caused the LATAM flight departing from Australia to New Zealand to drop so drastically. LATAM referred to the episode as a “technical event.” Boeing stated that it is working to gather more information.
This is just another incident involving Boeing planes this year.
The continuous stream of bad news for the airline began on the first weekend of the year when a part of the fuselage on the side of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max exploded shortly after takeoff. A preliminary federal investigation revealed that Boeing likely had not installed screws on the so-called door plug, designed to prevent the part from exploding.
This incident resulted in the temporary grounding of some 737 Max jets nationwide, followed by congressional hearings, production and delivery delays, and multiple federal investigations – including a criminal investigation.
But the bad news didn’t stop there. In February, pilots of a United Airlines 737 Max reported that the flight controls locked up when the plane landed in Newark. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Two weeks ago, the Federal Aviation Administration signaled safety issues with the de-icing equipment on the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner models that could cause engine power loss. The FAA is allowing the planes to continue flying, and Boeing stated that the issue does not pose an immediate safety risk.
A six-week audit conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration on Boeing’s production of the 737 Max found dozens of problems throughout the aircraft manufacturer’s manufacturing process and that of one of its main suppliers, according to a slide presentation reviewed by The New York Times.
Critics repeatedly say that the aircraft manufacturer is prioritizing profits over safety.
Whistleblower Found Dead
A former Boeing employee, John Barnett, who raised concerns about the company’s production standards, was found dead in South Carolina last weekend.
Local authorities confirmed that they found Barnett dead in his car in a hotel parking lot. Police said it appears he shot himself and is investigating the incident more thoroughly.
Barnett worked at Boeing for over three decades, retiring in 2017 after 32 years with the company. From 2010 onwards, he worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston, South Carolina factory, specifically on the 787 Dreamliner production line.
Since retiring, Barnett had been involved in a legal action against his former employer, claiming that the company harmed his career after forcing him to retire and raised issues against Boeing. Among them, he alleged that workers were deliberately adjusting substandard parts from scrap containers on the production line and that “Boeing in South Carolina is strictly schedule and cost-driven.”
A 2017 FAA review confirmed Barnett’s claim, concluding that the location of 53 “non-conforming” parts was unknown and ordering Boeing to take action on the matter.
In 2024, Barnett joined other employees to speak out against the 737 MAX aircraft, which has been subject to several technical emergencies in flight in recent years.
He was to be interviewed on Saturday (9) at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Whistleblower Protection Program.