Boeing fires man in charge of 737 Max plane – DW – 02/21/2024

He American aircraft manufacturer Boeing This Wednesday (02/21/2024), the man responsible for the 737 Max planes in question, Ed Clark, announced his departure, a month and a half after one of the devices operated by Alaska Airlines lost a part of it. A plane melts in mid-air, a safety incident 171 aircraft of this model were forced to temporarily land.

Stan Diehl, chief executive of the company's commercial aviation division, noted in a memo to employees that Clark is leaving the company after it acquires the 737 Max division in 2021, marking the end of an 18-year career tied to the aircraft. The executive, who was also general manager of the Boeing factory in Renton (Washington), will be replaced in both positions by Katie Ringgold, who oversaw the delivery of the model to customers.

Following the incident, the Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing. Although there were no major injuries, safety analysts noted that the incident could have had catastrophic consequences. Clark has been in his post since March 2021, after the MAX program was paralyzed for 20 months following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.

There are more changes

In addition, Boeing announced several changes to its management team, including the creation of a new quality control position in the commercial aircraft division, which will be filled by Elizabeth Lund, a senior executive. Due to the incident on the Alaska Airlines flight, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on January 6 ordered all Boeing 737 aircraft to be grounded as they gradually came out of 'isolation' and returned to flight.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that four screws on a panel were missing from the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 that experienced problems on January 5 while it was flying with 117 people on board. The FAA had already pledged five years ago to increase oversight of the company after two fatal crashes involving 737 Max planes in 2018 and 2019, and caused the biggest crisis in the company's history.

DZC (EFE, AFP)