Former Boeing employee testifies people are 'at risk' on Boeing airplanes
Speaking at a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday about aircraft safety issues at Boeing, former employee Ed Pierson testified that the Boeing 737 Max is “unsafe” and “every person stepping aboard a Boeing airplane is at risk” unless action is taken and company leaders are held accountable.
Video Transcript
ED PIERSON: Since the first Boeing Max airplane crash, I've spent every day thinking about the victims, their families, and the millions of people that fly Boeing airplanes. I've done everything I can to continue telling the world the Max airplane is still unsafe and to alert authorities to Boeing's dangerous manufacturing.
I'm here today to share four key messages. First, the manufacturing conditions that led to the two 737 Max disasters also led to the Alaskan accident-- blowout accident, and these conditions continue. In 2019, I testified as a Boeing whistleblower. I had previously warned the 737 general manager before the Max crash to shut down the factory. I also warned Boeing's general counsels, the CEO, and the board of directors before the second crash to shut it down. They ignored my warnings.
During my 2019 testimony, I described the chaotic manufacturing, the dysfunctional safety culture, and the horrible job government authorities were doing investigating the two crashes. The world is shocked to learn about Boeing's current production quality issues. I'm not surprised because nothing changed after the two crashes. There was no accountability. Not a single person from Boeing went to jail. Hundreds of people died, and there's been no justice.
Unless action is taken and leaders are held accountable, every person stepping aboard a Boeing airplane is at risk. Government authorities ignored Boeing's manufacturing problems until the Alaska accident. Passengers shouldn't have to rely on whistleblowers to provide the truth. They should be able to get on airplanes and not have to worry about what model it is, whether it was designed and manufactured to the highest of standards, whether the airline is operating and maintaining it properly, or whether government agencies are providing proper oversight.
