Boeing recently fired the head of its 737 Max program as part of an internal management shakeup after a door panel exploded during a flight last month.
Ed Clark is the first successor at Boeing in about 18 years, said Stanley Diehl, executive vice president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. NBC News report.
“Ed leaves with my and our deepest gratitude for his many significant contributions over nearly 18 years of dedicated service to the Boeing Company,” Diehl announced Wednesday.
Clark has been leading the program since 2021, overseeing the company’s factory in Renton, Washington. The Renton facility controlled the final assembly of Alaska Airlines’ 737 Max 9 aircraft involved in last month’s incident. The flight’s exit door panel was blown off mid-flight, forcing it to make an emergency landing. All Boeing 737 9 Max aircraft were grounded for several weeks for quality control inspections.
Blaze News previously reported that a preliminary report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board suggests the plane may have left the Boeing factory without the securing key bolts installed. The report notes that the panel should have been held in place with four bolts and 12 “stops.” All four bolts appeared to be missing.
“Overall, the observed damage pattern and absence of contact damage or deformation around the holes associated with the vertical motion arrester bolt and the upper guide track bolt on the upper guide fitting, hinge fitting, and recovered aft lower hinge guide fitting. This indicates that four bolts are damaged. Prevent upward movement. [mid exit door] “The MED plug was missing before it moved upward from the stop pad,” the report states.
The incident damaged Boeing’s reputation, cost it billions of dollars in value, and led to lawsuits from shareholders. The company’s investors blamed the incident on the company’s “serious safety deficiencies” and “inadequate quality control” measures, which ultimately caused the stock price to decline.
In 2018 and 2019, two 737 Max 8 aircraft crashed due to problems with the aircraft’s flight stabilization features. All 346 people on board were killed. From March 2019 to November 2020, all Boeing 737 Max aircraft were grounded.
Diehl said the recent management shakeup has increased the manufacturer’s “intensified focus on ensuring that every aircraft we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements.” announced that it is part of the
“Our customers demand and deserve more,” Deal added.
An email from Diehl to employees said Clark will be replaced by Katie Ringgold, vice president of 737 delivery. Mr. Ringgold will serve as vice president and general manager of the 737 program and the Renton facility.
In late January, Boeing CEO David Calhoun announced that the companycaused a problem.Calhoun said Boeing will “work” to regain the airline’s trust. Calhoun also noted that Boeing is increasing inspections of its factories and suppliers.
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