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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,874 posts)
Wed Aug 25, 2021, 12:23 PM Aug 2021

FAA opens new Boeing safety review after employees warn about conflicts of interest

Transportation

FAA opens new Boeing safety review after employees warn about conflicts of interest

A preliminary FAA investigation resurfaced longstanding worries that Boeing employees tapped to work on the government’s behalf lack independence

By Ian Duncan
Yesterday at 3:08 p.m. EDT

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to investigate fresh concerns that Boeing employees tapped to conduct safety work on behalf of the government face pressure to serve the company’s interests rather than those of the public.

In a letter to Boeing released Tuesday, the FAA summarized a recent investigation into the company’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) unit, saying some employees described conflicts of interest, pressure from Boeing staff and struggles to be transparent with the government. The unit’s employees are on Boeing’s payroll but conduct oversight work for the FAA.

“Boeing’s company culture appears to hamper members of the ODA unit from communicating openly with the FAA,” wrote Ian Won, acting manager of the FAA’s Boeing safety oversight office. “Further, the organizational structure also appears to provide a strong influence on how unit members are appointed, managed, and allowed to perform authorized functions, which provides ample opportunity for interference rather than independence.”

Some Boeing employees have long harbored similar concerns, which were highlighted during investigations into the flawed development of the 737 Max. Congress rewrote aviation safety laws after investigating how two of the jets became involved in deadly crashes months apart, aiming to strengthen the FAA’s oversight of Boeing.

{snip}

The agency’s investigation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was conducted between May and July, according to Won’s letter. It involved interviewing 32 Boeing staff members, said FAA spokeswoman Crystal Essiaw.

{snip}

By Ian Duncan
Ian Duncan is a reporter covering federal transportation agencies and the politics of transportation. He previously worked at the Baltimore Sun for seven years, covering city hall, the military and criminal justice. He was part of the Sun's team covering Freddie Gray's death in 2015 and then-Mayor Catherine Pugh's Healthy Holly books scandal. Twitter https://twitter.com/iduncan
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FAA opens new Boeing safety review after employees warn about conflicts of interest (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Aug 2021 OP
Shouldn't The Gov. Be Paying The Workers Who Do The Oversight? Me. Aug 2021 #1
More paragraphs: mahatmakanejeeves Aug 2021 #2
Given The Circumstances & Who Is Paying The Salaries Me. Aug 2021 #3

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,874 posts)
2. More paragraphs:
Wed Aug 25, 2021, 01:13 PM
Aug 2021
{snip}

The FAA doesn’t have enough staff to fully conduct safety reviews of new Boeing aircraft designs and manufactures. Instead, it relies on company employees to take on much of the work on its behalf.

The employees in the department are supposed to be independent and focused on safety. But the new concerns identified by the FAA echo problems that House Transportation Committee investigators highlighted in their review of the Max crashes and past warnings from the Transportation Department’s inspector general.

{snip}

Me.

(35,454 posts)
3. Given The Circumstances & Who Is Paying The Salaries
Wed Aug 25, 2021, 01:27 PM
Aug 2021

all I can think is...what did they expect...it's a system ready for corruption

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