WASHINGTON– Congress is set to join scrutiny of Boeing, with a key senator criticizing the company’s leadership on Wednesday and saying he plans to hold hearings on safety failures at the plane maker.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., met with Boeing CEO David Calhoun to discuss incidents, including one this month in which a panel blew up a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane while it was flying 3 miles away. miles) over Oregon.
Cantwell said he told Calhoun that quality engineering and safety should be the company’s top priorities.
“The American flying public and Boeing line workers deserve a leadership culture at Boeing that puts safety before profits,” said Cantwell, who represents the state where Boeing assembles the 737s.
Cantwell said the Senate Commerce, Science & The Transportation Committee, which she chairs, will hold hearings “to investigate the root causes of these safety failures.” No dates were announced.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of an Alaska Airlines Max 9. NTSB officials have said they are investigating whether bolts that help secure a panel called a door plug were missing before the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 1. 5. The explosion left a hole in the side of the plane, but the pilots were able to land safely.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures during manufacturing.