Boeing has been the topic of a federal investigation ever since January, when an Alaska Airways flight involving one among its planes had its door blown out. Since then, issues concerning the security of Boeing’s manufacturing course of have swirled and investigators have sought to find out simply how such a factor occurred.
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This week, the chair of the Nationwide Transportation Security Board, Jennifer Homendy, informed senators that the company’s investigation into the troubled flight was having issue as a result of Boeing had not retained the sort of documentation essential to grasp how the door had malfunctioned.
“Up to now, we nonetheless have no idea who carried out the work to open, reinstall, and shut the door plug on the accident plane,” Homendy wrote in a letter to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “Boeing has knowledgeable us that they’re unable to seek out the data documenting this work. A verbal request was made by our investigators for safety digital camera footage to assist acquire this info; nevertheless, they have been knowledgeable the footage was overwritten. The absence of these data will complicate the NTSB’s investigation transferring ahead.”
When reached for remark by Gizmodo, a Boeing official mentioned that video recordings have been solely “maintained on a rolling 30-day foundation” and that after that they have been overwritten. On this case, the airplane in query was repaired someday previous to October 31, which is the date when it was delivered to Alaska Airways to be used. The airplane’s troubled flight occurred on January 5, some two-ish months later, which might’ve put it exterior the 30 day window.
Boeing’s disaster continues to escalate
Along with the very actual issues with its plane, Boeing has an entire different, weirder drawback on its palms, within the type of John Barnett. A former company whistleblower, Barnett was discovered lifeless final week at a motel in South Carolina. Whereas the native coroner’s workplace has mentioned that Barnett’s dying seems to have occurred as the results of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the odd circumstances round his dying have shortly spawned conspiracy theories, spurring a broader public relations disaster for the corporate.
For one factor, Barnett was concerned in a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit towards Boeing on the time of his dying and was in the course of conducting depositions when he died. He was scheduled to look in court docket for one more deposition when motel workers discovered him lifeless in his truck.
Since then, individuals who say they knew or labored with Barnett have claimed they’ve doubts about his dying being a suicide. A girl who says she is a “household good friend” of the whistleblower claims Barnett as soon as informed her “If something occurs to me, it’s not suicide.” In the meantime, workers who work on the plant the place Barnett was beforehand employed have expressed doubt that he killed himself. Employees on the motel the place Barnett was staying on the time of his dying have mentioned that he “didn’t appear upset in any respect” on the night earlier than he died.
Barnett’s attorneys have equally mentioned that they need “extra info” about what occurred to their consumer. They mentioned Barnett was “in good spirits” within the days earlier than his dying and that “nobody can imagine” that he killed himself.
That mentioned, Barnett’s family have blamed Boeing for his dying, albeit in a really totally different manner than on-line conspiracy theorists: “He was affected by PTSD and anxiousness assaults because of being subjected to the hostile work setting at Boeing which we imagine led to his dying,” reads a press release launched by relations, together with Barnett’s brother.
Boeing has responded to the continuing hypothesis and outcry about Barnett’s dying with a easy assertion: “We’re saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our ideas are along with his household and mates.”
