Another Boeing-Linked Whistleblower Has Died: What to Know About Josh Dean and Spirit Aero
By Koh Ewe
May 2, 2024 6:30 AM EDT
Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems who had flagged safety concerns and alleged misconduct by the aircraft manufacturer, died Tuesday after a sudden and severe infection.
Dean is the second Boeing-linked whistleblower to have died in the last two months as the company has come under heightened scrutiny.
Dean, who was 45 and lived in Wichita, Kan., was in good health before he began to experience trouble breathing about two weeks ago and went to a hospital, according to the Seattle Times, which first reported on his death. Dean’s deterioration from that point, his aunt told the newspaper, was “brutal” and “heartbreaking.”
According to a series of public social media posts by Dean’s family, by April 21, he was in “very critical condition.” Dean tested positive for influenza B and MRSA, a difficult-to-treat bacterial infection, and developed pneumonia. He was intubated and put on dialysis as well as airlifted to another hospital to be put on an ECMO machine, a form of cardiac and respiratory life support. A CT scan showed that he had also suffered a stroke. Doctors were considering amputating his hands and feet, which had turned black from lack of oxygen.
“He is in the worst condition I have ever known or heard of. Even the hospital agrees,” Dean’s sister-in-law Kristen Dean posted on Facebook on Saturday, April 27. On Sunday night, Dean’s family posted that he was “giving up his fight” and “refusing to let them do any life saving procedures,” though his mother said she “told the doctor he doesn't know what he wants, I’m sure he wants to live, he’s afraid, scared and depressed.” According to Dean’s mother, the doctor agreed and performed a bronchoscopy, a surgical procedure to investigate the lungs and airways. Dean’s family announced that he had passed on Tuesday morning.
Qantas will fork out $100m as a civil penalty and pay $20m to customers in compensation, after striking a deal with the consumer watchdog over landmark legal action for allegedly selling tens of thousands of tickets to flights that had already been cancelled in its system.
Airline Industry
Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 6:04 am
by RTH10260
Qantas, in its defence to the legal action, claimed it doesn’t sell customers tickets to any particular flight, but rather a “bundle of rights” that includes alternative options in the event of cancellations, as it responded to allegations it sold tickets to thousands of already cancelled flights.
The airline also claimed the sales occurred due to its online booking system, and that informing customers that it had already cancelled flights they were booked on would have created “uncertainty and frustration” and overwhelmed its phone lines when they were all automatically notified of the cancellation without being allocated a replacement flight.
Airline Industry
Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 6:33 am
by keith
That is exactly what happened to me.
I booked a flight. On the night before I got a message saying it had been cancelled and they would 'try' to get us on another flight. Never got another message, but checking on frequent flyer page showed me on an earlier flight. So OK
We get to the airport, and the flight is 'delayed'. It actually leaves at the exact time the original flight was scheduled.
iGA Istanbul Airport
@igairport
Announcement:
On Wednesday, May 8th, 2024 at 08:17, a Boeing 767 type cargo aircraft of FedEx, flight number FX6238, arriving from CDG - Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, safely landed at iGA Istanbul Airport without opening the front landing gear due to a technical issue, as directed by the air traffic control tower.
Immediately upon the controlled landing on the fuselage, the accident was taken under control without any injuries or loss of life by the Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Team (ARFF) of iGA Istanbul Airport. Air traffic was temporarily halted on runway 16R following the landing.
The teams are diligently working to safely relocate the aircraft and restore routine flight operations on the runway. Flight traffic and operations remain unaffected on all other runways, including the auxiliary runways.
Duyuru:
8 Mayıs 2024 Çarşamba günü saat 08:17’de FedEx firmasına ait, CDG - Paris Charles de Gaulle Havalimanı’ndan gelen FX6238 sefer sayılı Boeing 767 tipi kargo uçağı teknik bir nedenden dolayı ön iniş takımları açılmadan İGA İstanbul Havalimanı’na, hava trafik kontrol kulesinin yönlendirmesi ile başarılı bir iniş yapmıştır.
Gövde üzeri kontrollü iniş öncesi, pistte hazır bekleyen İGA İstanbul Havalimanı Kurtarma ve Yangınla Mücadele ekibinin (ARFF), uçağa anında müdahalesiyle hiç bir can kaybı yaşanmadan kaza kontrol altına alınmıştır. Olay sonrası sadece 16R pisti geçici süreliğine hava trafiğine kapatılmıştır. İGA İstanbul Havalimanı Kurtarma ve Yangınla Mücadele ekibinin (ARFF), uçağın güvenli bir alana taşınması ve pistin uçuş trafiğine açılmasına yönelik çalışmaları sürmektedir. Yedek pistler dahil olmak üzere tüm diğer pistlerde uçuş trafiği ve operasyon sorunsuz bir şekilde devam etmektedir.
“Plane bodies made by Boeing's largest supplier regularly left the factory with serious defects, according to a former quality inspector at the firm.
Santiago Paredes who worked for Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas, told the BBC he often found up to 200 defects on parts being readied for shipping to Boeing.”
Airliners manufactured by Boeing and Airbus have components made from titanium that was sold with fake documentation.
The Federal Aviation Administration revealed the problem after Boeing reported it to the agency when it was notified by parts supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
Spirit is the same company that made the door on the 737 Max plane that suffered a door blowout on January 5 and began Boeing's recent spate of problems.
Faked documentation certifying the authenticity of the titanium could mean it was not up to standard or tested to withstand the rigors of air travel.
Airline Industry
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 3:51 pm
by RTH10260
moar
The problem was discovered after a parts supplier found small holes in the titanium from corrosion.
Spirit, which makes fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus, was testing the metal to determine if it was up to standard and structurally sound enough.
'This is about documents that have been falsified, forged and counterfeited,' it said.
'Once we realized the counterfeit titanium made its way into the supply chain, we immediately contained all suspected parts to determine the scope of the issues.'
Spirit was also trying to trace the source of the material to find out more about it and how it got into the supply chain unnoticed.
The suspect parts were used in planes made in 2019 to 2023 including the Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A220.
Airline Industry
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 4:05 pm
by tek
"trying to trace the source of the material"
"used in planes made in 2019 to 2023"
This is what a person trained in quality would call "out of control"
Seriously, the saw factory down the road has better material control than this.
Airline Industry
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 4:46 pm
by sugar magnolia
tek wrote: ↑Sat Jun 15, 2024 4:05 pm
"trying to trace the source of the material"
"used in planes made in 2019 to 2023"
This is what a person trained in quality would call "out of control"
Seriously, the saw factory down the road has better material control than this.
Even considering the tons of garbage dropped at landfills daily they can find a body in one that is hundreds of acres in size but even after 5 years they haven't discovered the source of this stuff?
Airline Industry
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 5:37 pm
by Shizzle Popped
We drove by the new Boeing factory near Scott AFB this week and the big "B" is missing from the sign. I figure it must've thought it was a door hatch.
(That factory will assemble the new navy refueling drone when it's complete.)
Airline Industry
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 5:43 pm
by tek
Untitled-1.jpg (225.07 KiB) Viewed 568 times
Airline Industry
Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2024 2:01 am
by RTH10260
Boeing bosses accused of ‘strip mining’ company for profit in Senate hearing Senators also say executives ‘sticking it to your employees’ as another whistleblower comes forward
Callum Jones in New York
Tue 18 Jun 2024 15.53 CEST
The CEO of Boeing has acknowledged “something went wrong” at the embattled planemaker after another whistleblower came forward, alleging that corners were cut on its production line.
Dave Calhoun acknowledged some employees who raised concerns about safety and quality inside the company faced retaliation.
The executive did not have the number of managers fired for retaliating against whistleblowers “on the tip of my tongue”, he told senators, “but I know it happens”.
At a hearing entitled “Boeing’s Broken Safety Culture”, Richard Blumenthal, chair of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, declared that the company was facing a “moment of reckoning” – and called for prosecutions.
In heated exchanges, Calhoun – who has already announced plans to step down later this year – and Boeing executives were accused of “strip mining” the company for profit. “You’re cutting corners, you’re eliminating safety procedures, you’re sticking it to your employees,” said Josh Hawley, the Republican senator.
“It’s working out great for you,” Hawley added, citing Calhoun’s “extraordinary” $33m pay package and asking why he had not yet resigned. “I’m sticking this through,” Calhoun replied. “I am proud of every action we have taken.”
Hours before the session Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector for the company in Renton, Washington, became the latest Boeing employee to go public with claims of safety issues. He alleged that he was instructed by his supervisors to conceal evidence from regulators.
nothing to be seen - move on - you can travel like normal
United Airlines jet turns back to Connecticut after a piece of engine lining fell off during takeoff
Connecticut Public Radio | By The Associated Press
Published June 20, 2024 at 4:57 PM EDT
A United Airlines plane turned back to a Connecticut airport Thursday after a piece of lining from an engine cover fell off during takeoff.
A United spokesperson said a portion of the engine’s sound-dampening outer liner was found on the runway at Bradley International Airport near Hartford.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate the incident. The FAA said crew members on the Airbus A320 jetliner heard an “abnormal noise” shortly after the Denver-bound flight's takeoff, and pilots flew safely back to Bradley airport.
United said it was arranging other flights for the passengers. There were 124 passengers and five crew members on board.
Earlier this year, United suffered a series of mishaps on flights that led the FAA to tighten its oversight of the airline. An outer piece of fuselage fell off one plane, another lost a wheel during takeoff, and others suffered an engine fire and other problems.
CEO Scott Kirby assured travelers that the incidents were unrelated to each other and that the carrier is safe. He said, however, that United would review its safety training for employees.
This Strike Could Determine the Future of Aviation
More Perfect Union
20 Jun 2024
NEW: Greedy CEOs crashed Boeing — and workers are speaking out.
They took us inside the airplane company's failures, including how executives eliminated safety inspections, sent away engineers, and forced suppliers to cut corners.
Now, 32,000 unionized Boeing workers are trying to save air travel.
Airline Industry
Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2024 1:07 pm
by RVInit
I follow a number of aviation related channels on YouTube, most of them run by pilots with years of experience. One of them is really into history of plane manufacturing etc. They all say Boeing lost it's reputation within the industry shortly after the merger with McDonnell Douglas. After the merger the kept the Boeing name, but axed Boeing management who were responsible for the good reputation of the company. McDonnell Douglas management who took over Boeing management were singularly focused on maximizing profit regardless of anything else.
Also, the same Republicans that act so disdainful during hearings are, of course, the same ones that gutted FAA authority and gave more power to airline manufacturers to self regulate. No surprise there. Focus on profit to the exclusion of all else combined with self regulation turned out to be not so good for public safety. Imagine that.
Korean Air flight descends 25,000 feet in five minutes due to depressurization, passengers hospitalized with nosebleeds
Updated: Jun 26, 2024, 01:51:00 AM IST
A Korean Air flight that was headed for Taiwan had to return to Incheon Airport, located west of Seoul, due to an unexpected depressurization. The South Korean transport ministry said on Tuesday that the incident happened on a Boeing 737 Max 8. On board the Saturday departing flight were 133 passengers, 19 of whom were hospitalized due to nosebleeds and ear pain. Luckily, no injuries were extremely severe, as reported by Yahoo News.
All about the incident
The aircraft's pressurization system failed approximately fifty minutes into the journey. As per the reports of Yahoo news, the airline and the ministry are looking into what's causing the problem. The ministry has directed all 11 South Korean airlines to examine the pressurization systems of their 400 aircraft, and the aircraft is still grounded as a precaution.
Flight details
Yonhap News Agency stated that when the problem came to light, the aircraft had taken off from Incheon International Airport at 4:45 p.m. local time and was flying over Jeju Island. The aircraft descended nearly 25,000 feet in five minutes, according to FlightRadar24 data. This is a standard procedure to reduce the possibility of pressurization problems at high altitudes. Social media videos showed the oxygen masks being deployed and the aircraft shaking.
Medical evaluations and safety measures
During the quick descent, fifteen people suffered from hyperventilation and discomfort in their eardrum. After being examined in hospitals, seventeen individuals were discharged with no serious injuries. As per the reports of Yahoo News, apologizing for any inconvenience, Korean Air emphasized their dedication to the safety of both passengers and crew.
and our local ISP news service cannot do better that once again list all unrelated Boeing plane mishaps
Airline Industry
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2024 3:31 am
by Suranis
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Airline Industry
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2024 4:22 am
by RTH10260
Justice Department pushes Boeing to plead guilty in 737 Max crash case Families say plea agreement is a “sweetheart deal” for the company that fails to acknowledge the 346 people who died in the two crashes.
By Lori Aratani and Spencer S. Hsu
June 30, 2024 at 7:19 p.m. EDT
The Justice Department is pushing Boeing to plead guilty over its involvement in airplane crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 that killed 346 people, according to attorneys representing the families of crash victims.
Under the deal, the company would plead guilty to one count of fraud, submit to oversight by an independent monitor for three years, and pay additional financial penalties or face trial, according to Paul Cassell, a professor at the University of Utah College of Law and former federal judge who is representing the families.
Prosecutors are expected to formally offer the deal to Boeing to consider, and the company will have until the end of the week to respond.
The company had no comment. The Justice Department declined to comment.
If the company rejects the terms, prosecutors said they will take the case to trial. However, a guilty plea by Boeing could complicate its ability to receive government contracts unless it gets a waiver, which is possible. It is not clear whether the plea agreement includes such language on waivers.
Spirit AeroSystems Announces Acquisition by Boeing in $8.3 Billion Transaction
WICHITA, Kan., July 1, 2024 – Spirit AeroSystems [NYSE: SPR] (“Spirit”) today announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] (“Boeing”) will acquire Spirit for $37.25 per share in Boeing common stock (subject to the collar described below). At $37.25 per share, this represents an equity value of approximately $4.7 billion and an enterprise value of approximately $8.3 billion including Spirit’s last reported net debt. The price of $37.25 per share represents a 30% premium to Spirit’s closing stock price of $28.60 on February 29, 2024, the last day before both Spirit and Boeing issued press releases confirming they were in discussions regarding a potential transaction.
“After carefully evaluating Boeing’s offer to combine, we are confident this transaction is in the best interest of Spirit and its shareholders, and will benefit Spirit’s other stakeholders,” said Patrick M. Shanahan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spirit. “Bringing Spirit and Boeing together will enable greater integration of both companies’ manufacturing and engineering capabilities, including safety and quality systems.”
Spirit also announced today that it entered into a binding term sheet with Airbus SE [EUR: AIR.PA] (“Airbus”). Under the term sheet, the parties will continue to negotiate in good faith to enter into definitive agreements for Airbus to acquire certain Spirit assets that serve Airbus programs, concurrently with the closing of Spirit’s acquisition by Boeing.
Shanahan continued, “We are proud of the part we have played in Airbus’ programs and believe bringing these programs under Airbus ownership will enable greater integration and alignment.”
Airbus takes over the former Spirit Aerosytems facilities that are supplying them.
Airbus enters agreement with Spirit AeroSystems
Amsterdam, 1 July 2024– Airbus SE (stock exchange symbol: AIR) has entered into a binding term sheet agreement with Spirit AeroSystems in relation to a potential acquisition of major activities related to Airbus, notably the production of A350 fuselage sections in Kinston, North Carolina, U.S., and St. Nazaire, France; of the A220’s wings and mid-fuselage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Casablanca, Morocco; as well as of the A220 pylons in Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
With this agreement, Airbus aims to ensure stability of supply for its commercial aircraft programmes through a more sustainable way forward, both operationally and financially, for the various Airbus work packages that Spirit AeroSystems is responsible for today.
The transaction would cover the acquisition of these activities. Airbus will be compensated by payment of $559 million from Spirit AeroSystems, for a nominal consideration of $1.00, subject to adjustments including based on the final transaction perimeter.
Entering into definitive agreements remains subject to an ensuing due diligence process. Whilst there is no guarantee that a transaction will be concluded, all parties are willing and interested to work in good faith to progress and complete this process as timely as possible.
