Published 14:53 IST, December 26th 2019
Boeing discloses 'very disturbing' messages on 737 MAX to FAA
Under fire aircraft manufacturer Boeing recently disclosed messages in relation to the 737 MAX to a US regulator in what was termed as extremely "disturbing".
Boeing recently disclosed messages on 737 MAX to US regulator in what was termed as extremely disturbing. New messages between Boeing employees based on the development of the ill-fated 737 MAX aeroplanes caused concern about the plane. According to reports, the documents containing the messages were submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration on December 23, on the same day when Dennis Muilenburg stepped down at Boeing's CEO.
"Disturbing messages"
According to reports, some of the "disturbing" messages were communicated by the same pilot whose messages in the year 2016 were released and were subject to questioning by prosecutors. However, the messages have not been made public as they are being looked into by members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. According to reports, the delay in providing the messages to the authorities is the second such instance in relation to the issue of the 737 MAX aeroplane.
The plane was officially grounded in the month of March after a design flaw led to two Boeing 737MAX crashes in which Lion Air Flight 360 crashed off the coast of Indonesia, claiming the lives of 189 people and Ethiopian Airlines 302 crash claimed the lives of 157 people 7 months later. The company had known about the messages since the month of January and submitted them to the FAA in the month of February. Former CEO Dennis Muilenberg accepted the fact that both the fatal crashes had repetition in the activation of a flight control software function called the MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) after it was installed with a faulty sensor.
"Change in leadership was necessary"
Boeing fired its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dennis Muilenburg, in an apparent attempt to restore the confidence of the public and the regulators amid the ongoing crisis. Muilenburg had worked for Boeing for more than three decades but the flawed 737 Max aeroplane tightened the scrutiny by the Federal Aviation Administration which forced the company to let go its 55-year-old CEO. "The Board of Directors decided that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the Company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders,” said the company in a statement as it faces multiple lawsuits brought by the families of victims died in the crashes. “Under the Company's new leadership, Boeing will operate with a renewed commitment to full transparency, including effective and proactive communication with the FAA, other global regulators and its customers," it added.
(With inputs from agencies)
Updated 14:53 IST, December 26th 2019