Flight Safety Information - January 1, 2024 No. 01 In This Issue : No Prior Issues with Crash Aircraft, Says Jeju Air CEO : South Korea Initiates Comprehensive Aviation Safety Overhaul Following Jeju Air Tragedy : Incident: Skywest E175 at Salt Lake City on Dec 30th 2024, brakes problem : Vietnam tightens aviation safety after world crashes : A Beechcraft 90 King Air main landing gear collapse : Experts Question Position of Embankment Near Runway in South Korea Plane Crash : A Eurocopter AS 350B3e after a bird strike : Most complaints against Boeing, FAA go nowhere, frustrating whistleblowers : IATA Launches IATA Connect: A New Hub for Aviation Safety and Compliance Calendar of Events No Prior Issues with Crash Aircraft, Says Jeju Air CEO • By Len Varley • January 1, 2025 • 12:52 am Note: See photos in the original article. Speaking at a news conference, Jeju Air CEO Kim Yi-bae said that pre-flight inspections of the B737-800 involved in the Muan crash had revealed no issues with the aircraft. Masakatsu Ukon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons A pre-flight inspection of a Jeju Air involved in a fatal crash in Muan revealed no issues with the aircraft, the airline’s CEO has told a news conference. Jeju Air CEO Kim Yi-bae told attendees at the conference that “nothing abnormal was noted with the landing gear” of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Questions still circulate as to why the aircraft made its final approach with the landing gear retracted. The accident occurred on December 31, 2024, at Muan International Airport in South Korea. It involved a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 carrying 181 passengers and crew, resulting in the tragic loss of 179 lives. The aircraft, en route from Bangkok, Thailand, overran the runway during a wheels-up landing and collided with a concrete barrier in the overshoot end of the runway. The impact caused a catastrophic fire, completely engulfing the aircraft. Investigation Team Inspects Crash Site A multinational team of investigators, including experts from the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and aircraft manufacturer Boeing, are now examining the site of a tragic plane crash. The investigation is focused on determining the factors that led to the runway excursion. Investigators are examining a multitude of aspects, including: • Aircraft Maintenance: A thorough review of the aircraft’s maintenance records, including inspections, repairs, and any potential mechanical malfunctions. • Pilot Actions: An analysis of the pilot’s flight history, training records, and the decisions made during the approach and landing. • Weather Conditions: Examination of meteorological data, including wind, visibility, and any adverse weather conditions that may have affected the landing. • Runway Design and Conditions: A detailed assessment of the runway’s length, surface conditions, and the design and placement of the concrete barrier. Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, is actively cooperating with the investigation, providing technical expertise and supporting the data analysis. G B_NZ, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Summary This devastating accident has shaken South Korea and prompted a comprehensive review of aviation safety protocols nationwide. Acting President Choi Sang-mok described the fatal crash as a “turning point” for the country; urging a full overhaul of air safety protocols. The South Korean government has now ordered an immediate inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by domestic airlines. The findings of the investigations will be crucial in understanding the causes of the crash and implementing measures to prevent future tragedies. South Korea Initiates Comprehensive Aviation Safety Overhaul Following Jeju Air Tragedy Faizan Farooque Mon, December 30, 2024 at 9:37 AM CST Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways South Korea is reviewing its aviation safety standards after a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash that killed 179 people. One of the greatest aviation disasters in the country requires a swift government reaction to prevent future ones. The fateful flight from Bangkok to Muan International Airport had serious issues upon arrival. After an unsuccessful initial attempt, ground control warned the aircraft of a bird attack. After landing without its front landing gear, the airplane overshot the runway, hit a concrete barrier, and caught fire. Acting President Choi Sang-mok ordered an urgent investigation of all South Korean airlines' Boeing 737-800s. This rule covers 101 aircraft, 39 from Jeju Air. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport leads structural safety efforts. Boeing and NTSB personnel are supporting the investigation. According to reports, their perspectives are crucial to accident investigation and safety advise. South Korea's largest low-cost airline, Jeju Air, uses Boeing 737-800s. The airline, which has a good safety record, had an autopilot failure in 2018 and a wingtip hit in 2021. These instances cast doubt on airline maintenance practices. Since its inception in the late 1990s, the Next Generation Boeing 737-800 has been a global aviation staple. It has a solid safety record after making 7,000 units. However, recent instances have prompted a maintenance and safety review. Jeju Air has over 60,000 flight cancellations, indicating consumer distrust. Boeing shares fell more than 4% premarket, indicating investor concerns over airplane safety and liability. Incident: Skywest E175 at Salt Lake City on Dec 30th 2024, brakes problem By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Dec 31st 2024 16:29Z, last updated Tuesday, Dec 31st 2024 16:29Z A Skywest Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N307SY performing flight DL-3963 from Spokane,WA to Salt Lake City,UT (USA) with 69 people on board, was on final approach to Salt Lake City's runway 34R when the crew went around reporting a left hand brake fault indication. The crew declared emergency and positioned for an ILS approach to runway 34R. The aircraft landed safely, vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. The aircraft is still on the ground in Salt Lake City about 10 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL3963/history/20241231/0310Z/KGEG/KSLC Vietnam tightens aviation safety after world crashes Tuesday, December 31, 2024, 16:00 GMT+7 The scene of the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, December 29, 2024. Photo: Reuters The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has recently issued a directive requesting units in the industry to strengthen aviation safety measures after a series of aircraft accidents occurred in the world. To ensure absolute safety in civil aviation activities, especially during the travel peak of the Lunar New Year (Tet) break in January, all flight operators, aircraft maintenance providers, pilots, and technical staff are required to strictly comply with regulations on civil aviation safety, the directive states. Pilots must adhere to standard aircraft operating procedures, especially in adverse weather conditions or complex scenarios, and follow the principle that a flight is operated only when the relevant aircraft meets all required conditions. They must maintain uninterrupted communication with flight control centers to receive necessary support and ensure flight safety. The CAAV has instructed all airports to work closely with local authorities to prevent unauthorized drone operations, as well as kite flying, near airport areas, according to the Vietnam Government Portal. Airlines are also required to plan flight routes that steer clear of airspace at risk of armed conflict to ensure passenger and flight safety. The agency has also requested additional training with flight simulators focusing on different landing scenarios under unfavorable weather patterns, including sudden crosswinds, gusts, and wind shear. Foreign aircraft operators are required to fully familiarize themselves with Vietnam's meteorological information, airport layouts, flight routes, and operational procedures. They must strictly follow instructions from Vietnam’s air traffic controllers. The CAAV requires Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation to provide carriers with updated meteorological information, including that on adverse weather conditions, and prepare appropriate operational plans and necessary guidance for pilots. Air traffic controllers are tasked with strengthening air traffic monitoring, controlling flight operations effectively, and identifying potential flight safety risks, thereby issuing timely warnings and providing aid when needed. All airport authorities and operators are required to enhance oversight of all vehicles within airport premises, promptly provide air traffic controllers with accurate runway condition updates, clear foreign object debris from runways, keep birds away from airport areas, and prevent domestic animals from entering the airfield. The CAAV emphasized that strict penalties must be enforced against individuals and organizations violating flight safety rules. The directive comes in response to a series of international aviation accidents with high fatality rates. The latest devastating crash involved a Jeju Air B737-800 aircraft belly-landing, skidding off the end of the runway and erupting in a fireball as it slammed into a wall at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29. The incident killed 179 people on board, making it the deadliest-ever air accident in South Korea. Only two survived in this crash. Another tragedy occurred on December 25, when an Azerbaijan Airlines E190 aircraft crashed in Kazakhstan, claiming 38 lives out of the 67 passengers on board. According to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the plane was ‘accidentally’ hit by fire from Russia while flying through Russian airspace, leading to its crash. On November 25, a DHL Boeing 737-476SF cargo plane faced an unidentified incident on the way from Germany to Litva, crashing during an attempt to land at Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania, killing one person and injuring two others. A Beechcraft 90 King Air main landing gear collapse Date:Friday 27 December 2024Time:c. 16:00 LTType: Beechcraft E90 King Air Owner/operator:Air Majoro Registration:OB-2221P MSN:LW-246 Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage:Minor Location:FAP Captain David Abensur Rengifo Int. Airport (PCL/SPCL), Pucallpa - Peru Phase:Landing Nature:Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi Departure airport:Atalaya Airport (SPAY) Destination airport:Pucallpa-Cap. FAP David A. Abensur Rengifo Airport (PCL/SPCL) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Beechcraft 90 King Air experienced mechanical issues, followed by a main landing gear collapse during an emergency landing at FAP Captain David Abensur Rengifo International Airport (PCL/SPCL), Pucallpa, Ucayali. No reported injuries and the aircraft received minor damage. Experts Question Position of Embankment Near Runway in South Korea Plane Crash Storyful Tue 31 December 2024 at 7:12 am GMT-6 Aviation safety experts examining the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea were questioning whether a concrete and soil embankment at Muan International Airport exacerbated the disaster, the Korea Times has said. Video from Seok Junhyoung shows the scene of the crash on December 29. Both the wreck of the plane and the structure can clearly be seen in the footage. The earth and concrete embankment supported a type of navigation equipment the Korea Times referred to as a “localizer”. Such equipment helps guide aircraft along the runway. Kwon Bo-heon, a professor of aviation safety management at Far East University, told the Korea Times, “The rigid construction of the localizer likely worsened the accident’s severity. Video footage shows the aircraft sliding smoothly along the runway before colliding with the mound and erupting into flames.” Another aviation expert, David Learmount, told Sky News the plane’s collision with the embankment was the “defining moment” of the crash, in which 179 people were killed. Credit: Seok Junhyoung via Storyful A Eurocopter AS 350B3e after a bird strike Date:Sunday 29 December 2024Time:c. 11:00 LTType: Eurocopter AS 350B3e Ecureuil Owner/operator:Heli EverestRegistration:9N-AKG MSN:7426 Year of manufacture:2012 Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6Other fatalities:0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location:near Banepa - Nepal Phase:En route Nature:Passenger Departure airport:Lukla Destination airport:Kathmandu Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Eurocopter AS 350B3e Ecureuil made an emergency landing near Banepa after a bird strike. The six occupants were not injured and the helicopter sustained minor or no damage. Sources: Most complaints against Boeing, FAA go nowhere, frustrating whistleblowers Dec. 29, 2024 at 6:00 am Updated Dec. 29, 2024 at 6:00 am Illustration by Chris Kaeser / The Seattle Times By Patrick Malone Seattle Times staff reporter Note: See photos and graphical information in the original article. Times Watchdog stories dig deep to hold power accountable, right wrongs and create change. This work is made possible by The Seattle Times Investigative Journalism Fund. Donate today to support watchdog journalism in our community. Editor’s note: This story references suicide. If you or a loved one is in crisis, resources are available here. During his 12 years as a quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, Santiago Paredes prided himself on speaking his mind when he found errors. Mistakes have been pervasive at the Wichita, Kan., Spirit plant that employed Paredes, where the company builds large sections of Boeing planes, including the entire fuselage of the 737 MAX. Santiago Paredes, a whistleblower who formerly was a quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages for Boeing,... (Nick Krug / Special to The Seattle Times)More Paredes’ bosses appreciated his attention to detail — to a point. But when he relentlessly pointed out manufacturing flaws, Paredes says, supervisors labeled him “a showstopper,” ignored his findings and pushed along flawed fuselages to Renton. Paredes, worried a plane would crash due to known defects, quit and moved his family of five out of Wichita to “restart my life without Spirit in it,” the 41-year-old said. But his concerns followed him. Inspired by a Spirit colleague turned whistleblower, he told federal investigators that unbeknown to Boeing, Spirit was storing incomplete, flawed MAX bodies during the COVID-19 pandemic, when shipments to Boeing’s Renton factory were paused. Boeing 737 fuselage sections sit on the assembly floor at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan. (Daniel Acker / Bloomberg, 2010) Paredes lacked faith in the Federal Aviation Administration — long accused by critics of too-tight ties to industry — and its whistleblower system. So Paredes sidestepped the FAA’s in-house whistleblower process, instead taking his concerns directly to federal investigators as a witness in a stockholder lawsuit against Spirit. Meant to enable whistleblowers to freely report anomalies that affect the safety of air travel, the FAA’s system and those run in-house by major aerospace manufacturers draw focus after air disasters or accidents like one over Portland in January. The disclosures are meant to provide FAA safety officials windows into problems that could render planes unsafe to fly, and to ensure the flying public never boards one. Many complaints filed, few violations found Federal Aviation Administration investigators found no violations in more than 90% of whistleblower safety complaints between 2020 and 2023. Violations were found 8.5% of the time. Source: FAA Office of Audit and Evaluation annual reports to Congress (Reporting by Patrick Malone, charts by Chris Kaeser / The Seattle Times) A Seattle Times analysis of that FAA program’s reports to Congress shows an overwhelmed system delivering underwhelming results for whistleblowers. Aerospace and airline workers and FAA employees who share safety concerns face a system where the probability of success is only slightly better than the chance of drawing an ace from a 52-card deck. More than 90% of safety complaints from 2020 through 2023 ended with no violation found by the FAA, while whistleblowers reported them at great personal and professional risk. The FAA dismisses whistleblower complaints on preliminary review when they lack sufficient information to investigate, repeat an allegation that’s already being investigated or lack a basis for retaliation claims. It’s impossible to know how many of the hundreds of complaints the FAA summarily dismisses each year are in fact meritless. In interviews, though, whistleblowers and their advocates said even those whose claims ultimately prove out succeed at incredible costs. Concrete changes to the whistleblower system put forward by reform advocates — legal representation at public expense, creating a more independent alternative to the FAA’s in-house system — would bolster enhancements made to the FAA program four years ago in the wake of two MAX crashes but have yet to gain traction in Congress. While Spirit declined to comment about Paredes’ whistleblower complaint, Spirit, Boeing and the FAA all said that they are committed to protecting whistleblowers and striving for improvement. Where the investigations start Safety-related complaints authorized for investigation by the FAA have been reported by whistleblowers across a spectrum of aerospace and airline professions, including manufacturer employees from Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems, since 2020. Note: “Other” includes directors of operations, supply clerks, parts purchasers, technicians, flight paramedics, cabin crew, ground crew and other positions not specifically identified in the chart. Source: FAA Office of Audit and Evaluation annual reports to Congress (Reporting by Patrick Malone, charts by Chris Kaeser / The Seattle Times) “Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component of aviation safety, and FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has made employee safety reporting a priority,” FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor said. He noted the FAA and Congress created the agency’s current system in response to failures in the one that preceded it. Of the 728 complaints related to the safety of aircraft the FAA has received since 2020, the Office of Audit and Evaluation dismissed nearly 4 out of 10 before reaching the fact-finding phase, according to congressional reports. It relies on investigations by the Office of Audit and Evaluation and input from groups of FAA subject-matter experts. Overall, 8.5% of safety complaints resulted in findings of violations. The FAA discards complaints that it judges lack sufficient information, or fail to rise to the threshold of a whistleblower claim because the FAA doesn’t believe a complaint threatened the whistleblower’s employment, according to Gregor. Since 2020, the FAA found violations and took action on complaints related to inspections at Boeing plants. At the same time, it closed investigations into issues similar to those believed to have contributed to a blowout over Portland in January, such as unqualified workers performing safety-critical work and missing documentation. That incident, which saw an improperly installed door-sized panel fall off a 737 MAX as the plane climbed to 16,000 feet, triggered familiar questions from Congress and the flying public about the commitment to safety at Boeing, Spirit and the FAA. For whistleblowers whose cases advance, a stormy and emotionally taxing process awaits. Whistleblowers, their advocates and the people closest to them describe a dizzying odyssey that favors the accused and gnaws away at the whistleblowers. Paredes contends his objections saw him indelibly labeled as a problem employee. In May, more than a year after he’d left Wichita, the quality director at Paredes’ new employer got a phone call from someone at Spirit. “They told him … they have a mole,” Paredes said. “They were trying to impact my employment, my income. As a middle-class man, it’s not easy to provide for my family,” he said. “It made it hard to go to work, the rumors on the floor.” Spirit, through its spokesperson, declined to answer questions about Paredes’ retaliation claim. Like Paredes says happened to him, whistleblowers’ identities sometimes are leaked to the people they’re complaining about, leading them to be retaliated against by managers and shunned by peers. Those who quit or get fired face prolonged unemployment, financial insecurity, divorce, depression. Some die waiting for their complaints to be resolved. “It’s a David versus Goliath power imbalance,” said Jackie Garrick, president and CEO of Whistleblowers of America, a nonprofit aimed at supporting whistleblower mental health. “David had God on his side. Most whistleblowers are pretty much alone … “They are that small guy going up against the big guy with no real weapons but the truth, and the truth gets treated like it’s a crime.” We need your support In-depth journalism takes time and effort to produce, and it depends on paying subscribers. If you value these kinds of stories, consider subscribing. Subscribe Betting on “independence” An exhibit slide is projected during an investigative hearing by the National Transportation Safety Board on Aug. 6. Seven months after a Boeing 737 MAX... (Al Drago / Bloomberg)More After a misdesigned system downed two 737 MAX airliners six years ago, whistleblowers illuminated Boeing’s resistance to worker complaints and the FAA’s weak regulation of the company, and forced Congress to act. But based on the accounts of whistleblowers and their advocates, policy tweaks have done little to protect whistleblowers from the punishing process and culture of exclusion. On its website and in official reports to Congress, the FAA describes its in-house whistleblower and appeals processes as “independent.” But that’s a misnomer, according to whistleblower advocates familiar with the system. Unlike most federal agencies, the program relies on the FAA’s administrator as the final authority on its investigations, according to Tom Devine, a whistleblower attorney with nearly a half-century of experience across a spectrum of federal agencies, particularly those with security clearances to conduct secretive work. Devine is also legal director of the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit that helps whistleblowers navigate the complex federal system. Whistleblower advocates view the system as an extension of “regulatory capture,” when oversight agencies fall under the influence of the industries they’re supposed to be policing, something Congress acknowledges Boeing has exercised over the FAA. One recent FAA chief, ex-Delta Air Lines executive Stephen Dickson, was appointed to the top job despite allegations that he and others at Delta retaliated against an airline whistleblower who reported safety concerns. Rulings within the FAA’s whistleblower protection program pass through the FAA’s legal office. In truly independent systems, usually operated by an agency’s inspector general, Devine said, agency attorneys and politically appointed leaders are cut out of the entire process. FAA spokesperson Gregor cited a legal prohibition against the agency’s administrator blocking the investigation of complaints. Gregor said whistleblower protection at the FAA has only gotten more independent since moving the program out of the agency’s chief counsel’s office in 2012, and with the recent adoption of the same professional standards required of federal inspectors general. In response to a congressional directive, the FAA in 2022 stood up its Office of the Whistleblower Ombudsman to educate FAA employee-whistleblowers about their rights. In 2022 and 2023, 20 FAA whistleblowers turned to the new office with their complaints. Of those, 16 involved allegations of retaliation. Three were dispatched by simply advising employees of their rights and remedies should they face future retaliation. One advocate compared the FAA’s whistleblower protection program to a casino — a stacked system that favors the house. It invites all comers, offers slim chances of success and often spits them out in worse shape than when they walked through the door. Aerospace pros have several paths within the federal government to lodge whistleblower complaints. Each path is littered with procedural requirements; one misstep can doom a complaint. Aside from the FAA’s in-house program, employees of Boeing, Spirit and the FAA can report safety hazards to the Office of Special Counsel, which has no FAA ties, or through internal employer complaint programs, such as Boeing’s Speak Up and Spirit’s Quality 360, to trigger company reviews. Allegations of retaliation against aviation whistleblowers are investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Depending on which route a whistleblower chooses, deadlines for next steps can range from five to 90 days. Some require complaints be presented on a specific form, or they are discarded. In the aftermath of the door-plug blowout over Portland, Boeing specifically asked its employees to use the Speak Up program or the FAA’s internal process to report any concerns, according to Boeing spokesperson Jessica Kowal. Both have done a poor job protecting whistleblowers from retaliation, according to a congressionally appointed expert panel. In hearings before Congress following the MAX crashes and the more recent blowout, experts criticized both Boeing’s Speak Up program and the FAA’s whistleblower protection system. While both were designed to guard against retaliation, critics say they have instead become enablers of it. “We’ve warned whistleblowers not to entrust their rights there,” Devine said, referring to the FAA’s in-house whistleblower program. “It’s been a disaster from the beginning. We tell everyone to avoid it because it’s a trap.” A panel of aviation safety experts in February rebuked Boeing’s Speak Up program in a report to Congress. Whistleblower advocates criticized Speak Up for commonly outing whistleblowers to the supervisors they’re complaining about, exposing them to retaliation. Managers sometimes investigated complaints against themselves. Employees mistrusted the program’s promise of anonymity. Collectively, the befuddling maze of whistleblower options sowed “confusion about reporting systems that may discourage employees from submitting safety concerns,” according to the expert panel’s report. FAA employees can appeal demotions to the agency-run Guaranteed Fair Treatment Program. Whistleblowers and their advocates who’ve tested the process say it’s anything but fair, as former FAA employee Jason Brock would learn the hard way. Endurance tested by bureaucratic process Brock spent 14 years working for the FAA at a Nashville, Tenn., airport. He filed a complaint accusing his supervisor of telling him to install runway lights, something Brock said he wasn’t qualified to do safely. Brock was terminated in 2020 for refusing to do the work, and his initial complaint was rejected by the FAA’s Office of Audit and Evaluation. That office fields complaints on the agency hotline, acting as a gatekeeper. Hotline complaints pass through a process that can dismiss them or route them to internal investigations. Sometimes, the FAA assigns whistleblower complaints to this track, as it did with Brock’s. When he appealed his firing to the Guaranteed Fair Treatment Program last year, Brock said he was informed that the program didn’t have enough arbitrators to hear his case, so Brock filed a federal lawsuit challenging the FAA’s rulings. Brock, who’s acting as his own lawyer, points to emails from an FAA employee in May 2020, stating that it lacked arbitrators to hear his case. Brock said the FAA’s denial demonstrates its reluctance to acknowledge, much less fix, its shortcomings. “Guaranteed Fair Treatment Program? Yeah, right,” Brock said with a sarcastic chuckle. “It hurts my heart to know that there are other cases like mine.” The FAA, through its spokesperson, denied it has ever lacked arbitrators in the program. As Paredes had from the start, Brock abandoned the FAA’s process entirely. He instead appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board, an option available to federal employees, as well as people who work for government contractors or regulated companies, who’ve been demoted, reprimanded or dismissed. The board overturned the FAA’s decision, enabling Brock to continue to fight in federal court. While the FAA’s program may be unusual in its lack of independence, similar complaints are often made against other federal agencies’ whistleblower systems. Devine said even more-independent reporting paths seldom yield satisfying outcomes. It’s standard for large percentages of whistleblower complaints to be dispatched before a full fact-finding review, regardless of the venue. Aerospace whistleblowers must finance their cases, sometimes balancing payments to lawyers with essential household bills when they’ve been fired. They can’t subpoena witnesses, unless their complaint progresses to a lawsuit. Whistleblowers very rarely win their cases on initial review because federal whistleblower programs base preliminary findings primarily on the word of the accuser against the word of the accused. Generally, the accused is a corporation or federal agency with lawyers, lobbyists and mastery of the bureaucratic process. In June, Boeing quality inspector Sam Mohawk made public his allegations that the 737 MAX line in Renton was losing track of subpar aircraft parts. Mohawk worried the missing parts had found their way into planes. He also alleged Boeing hid flawed parts from the FAA. Boeing conducted two investigations into Mohawk’s claims. The company reviewed documents, observed the factory operations and interviewed other employees. Boeing found no evidence defective parts were installed on aircraft and determined none of the concerns Mohawk raised affected airplane safety, Kowal said. Even so, Boeing said Mohawk’s disclosure was useful. Kowal said it showed the importance of sharing information with employees. That’s not unusual. Claims by public whistleblowers in the past year have led to some improvements at Boeing’s factories, while others “were not accurate,” according to the company. In the final analysis, the company’s position is that no whistleblower complaints affected safety for the flying public. “Based on investigations over several years, none of their claims about airplane safety were found to be valid,” Kowal said. She said the company encourages employees to report any safety concern. “We carefully investigate every concern and take action to address any validated issue.” Mohawk continues to pursue his FAA claim, originally submitted through Boeing’s Speak Up program. Months passed before Boeing addressed Mohawk’s complaint. When it did, Mohawk’s report was passed to the managers he was complaining about, according to Brian Knowles, Mohawk’s South Carolina-based lawyer. “If you do Speak Up, just know that your report is going to go straight to the guys you’re accusing of wrongdoing. They aren’t going to say, ‘Thanks for speaking up against us,’” Knowles said. According to Knowles, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun promised to meet with Mohawk over the summer, shortly before Calhoun stepped down in August. But the tentative meeting never materialized; Boeing said the timing of Calhoun’s resignation scuttled the meeting. Mohawk is still waiting. Mohawk’s unsatisfying whistleblower experience within the FAA system mirrors Brock’s, except Brock says his complaint has rendered his life unrecognizable. He faced prolonged unemployment after the FAA fired him, before landing at Boeing’s St. Louis plant, a 4 ½-hour drive from his wife and children, who Brock was only able to travel home and see on weekends. That’s changed; Brock got notice in November that he was laid off. Advertising Skip Ad “It just got to be too much” 737 Max fuselages heading to Renton are stored on train cars in a Sodo railyard in October. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times) Among many aerospace whistleblowers who’ve come forward in the years since Boeing and the FAA promised to improve their support for whistleblowers, two names stand out, forever linked by conscience and coincidence: John Barnett and Josh Dean. Both died this year, 52 days apart and months after the blowout over Portland reignited old questions about the commitments to quality and safety at Boeing and Spirit. The whistleblowers’ deaths became an overnight fixation, spawning conspiracy theories. They also focused the public eye on the stress and sacrifices made by workers who raise concerns directly related to air safety. According to people close to them, Barnett and Dean endured deep emotional trauma from their whistleblower experiences, pain that became increasingly apparent as they neared the end of their lives. Barnett, 62, died by suicide in South Carolina in March. For seven years, he had claimed Boeing retaliated against him for complaints about quality lapses. Where to find help If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or have concerns about someone else who may be, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. You will be routed to a local crisis center where professionals can talk you through a risk assessment and provide resources in your community. He worked at Boeing for 32 years before resigning with work-related post-traumatic stress disorder in 2017, the same year he filed the whistleblower complaint that would stretch on for the duration of his life. Barnett’s close friend, his lawyer Knowles and his suicide note all point to the stress of his whistleblower action as a factor in his suicide. “If John would have gotten anything back from the company or the regulating bodies that recognized even partially that he was right, it would have probably given him a little hope, a sense of accomplishment that he was doing the right thing,” said one former colleague and close friend of Barnett, who asked to remain anonymous because he has active whistleblower cases under the name “John Doe.” “But I think it just got to be too much.” Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, 62, died by suicide in March. He had worked for Boeing for 32 years before resigning in 2017 with work-related... (Courtesy of Katelyn Gillespie)More Describing his own experience and Barnett’s, he said, “This is heavy. Sleepless nights, worry, hair falling out because you don’t know what’s coming next.” “Get a therapist,” he continued. “You’re going to need it.” Garrick, the Whistleblowers of America chief executive, is pressing Congress to relieve at least one of the burdens on whistleblowers — cost. Establishing a federal Office of Whistleblower Protection that provides them attorneys at public expense would ensure they’re not bankrupting themselves pursuing their complaints, Garrick said. She also has been lobbying Merriam-Webster Dictionary to rethink the synonyms with negative connotations it attaches to the term “whistleblower,” such as “fink,” “rat” and “snitch.” Before she launched a nonprofit to support whistleblowers’ mental health, she was a whistleblower herself. She felt the emotional strain common among whistleblowers but still fought a lonely battle with the Veterans Affairs Department, without an attorney’s help, over failures in its suicide-prevention services and prevailed. Devine called whistleblowing an unforgiving process that can push personal and professional lives to careen out of control. “It’s horribly stressful,” Devine said. “Whistleblowers are at the crossroads of the contradictory values we’re raised with in this country: It’s good to be a team player, but it’s not good to be a sheep. “We trust rugged individualists and don’t like rats or squealers, but we also don’t respect people who look the other way. These are incredibly fundamental contradictions in people knowing who they are when it really, really counts.” Before a fierce, fast infection killed Dean, 45, on April 30 in Wichita, he was showing signs of physical and mental fatigue common among whistleblowers, according to Paredes. They’d worked together at Spirit and became kindred souls who bonded over their commitment to quality in the face of constant pushback. Dean’s life as a second-generation employee who followed his father to the hometown aerospace manufacturer mirrors many in the greater Seattle area. He worked at Spirit from 2019 to 2023, when he was terminated for missing manufacturing flaws during an inspection. Before that, he’d blown the whistle on improperly drilled holes in the aft pressure bulkhead of the MAX, but said management did nothing. Dean’s integrity earned him the respect of like-minded colleagues, including Paredes. And ultimately, after Paredes left Spirit over his own frustrations with unaddressed defects, it was Dean who inspired him to become a whistleblower. That wasn’t an easy decision for Paredes, who’d uprooted his family to a different city and left behind his job. He could simply have walked away. Whistleblowers can pursue their cases anonymously. And that’s how Paredes started out, a nameless face who’d piggybacked on an existing stockholder lawsuit against Spirit to make his disclosure as a witness outside of the FAA whistleblower program. But after Dean’s death, he went public in May. Paredes knew the stakes, and he felt the intense uncertainty and fear bordering on paranoia that comes with whistleblowing. He encouraged his wife to keep her handgun loaded, and soldiered through his own nightmares and racing heart. But he has persisted by speaking to federal investigators and cooperating in a stockholder lawsuit against Spirit. “I reminded myself why I’m doing this: The safety of thousands of people who fly in these planes. Compared to my life, that would be a good trade if it meant changes in the way they build these planes. It’s worth the fight.” Seattle Times data journalist Manuel Villa contributed to this report. Correction: An earlier version of mischaracterized a Boeing spokesperson’s comments regarding the impact of Sam Mohawk’s complaints. Patrick Malone: pmalone@seattletimes.com. Patrick Malone is an investigative reporter at The Seattle Times. IATA Launches IATA Connect: A New Hub for Aviation Safety and Compliance Press Release No: 47 Date: 2 October 2024 Marrakech - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched IATA Connect, creating a secure community of aviation safety, security, compliance and operations experts at airlines, regulatory agencies and auditors. With an initial focus on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), IATA Connect community members will be able to access and use the platform to securely exchange safety documentation, share information, and collaborate to support further improvements in aviation safety. In addition to the IOSA Registry, IATA Connect will also house a secure private documentation repository with analytical and benchmarking capabilities. Contents of the document repository include IOSA audit reports, standards and related information, guidance materials, 440 airline profiles, industry alerts and news sources which can be accessed and shared. Some 2,300 aviation safety professionals have been invited to join the IATA Connect community covering regulators, IOSA registered airlines and auditors. "IATA Connect will provide aviation safety and compliance professionals in government and the industry with a means to make flying even safer by facilitating real time collaboration. Whether it is sharing an IOSA audit report, responding to a compliance questionnaire, updating information on codeshare partners, benchmarking resources, or information gathering, IATA Connect will bring new efficiencies and greater capabilities. By collecting critical IOSA audit data in a single location, keeping it updated, and making the mechanics of information exchange easier, IATA Connect will be a compelling tool for everyone involved in aviation safety compliance and oversight,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. The launch of IATA Connect responds directly to the growing challenge of safety professionals to manage compliance documentation. In the face of growing operations, regulatory requirements and increasingly complex operational environments (with commercial and outsourcing partnerships), exchanging audit information and documentation on a single platform is expected to greatly enhance efficiency. Aiming for IATA Connect to become a virtual collaboration space for all aviation professionals, the platform is also available via a mobile App which will initially include two other key IATA safety offerings: • Safety Connect, a longstanding secure forum used by interest groups for discussion and resources specific to operational areas such as cabin, cargo, and ground operations. • The publicly available Safety Issue Hub, where information on hazards and safety risks are posted to enable the prioritization and delivery of aviation safety improvement programs. With time, and in response to user needs, IATA Connect will grow and add capabilities to make it the one-stop-shop for aviation safety professionals. > More information on IATA Connect For more information, please contact: Corporate Communications Tel: +41 22 770 2967 Email: corpcomms@iata.org Curt Lewis