Boeing, grappling with a series of issues with its airplanes, has appointed a special advisor to oversee an assessment of the company’s quality management system for commercial airplanes. The chosen individual is retired Navy veteran Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, who will be advising Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun.
The appointment follows the cabin panel blowout incident involving an Alaska Air Boeing 737 Max 9 jet in Portland, Oregon. This mishap led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounding 171 such planes for reinspection. In this incident, a four-foot-long, 63-pound plug door panel detached from the plane and landed in a Beaverton-area backyard on January 5. Consequently, on January 9, the FAA announced its investigation into Boeing’s airplanes and grounded all Boeing 737-9 Max planes equipped with a plug door.
On January 16, Boeing publicized Admiral Donald's appointment as an advisor to Calhoun. His role includes providing recommendations not only to Calhoun but also to the Aerospace Safety Committee of the company’s board of directors. "Admiral Donald is a recognized leader in ensuring the integrity of some of the most complex and consequential safety and quality systems in the world," said Calhoun. He further stated that he had asked Donald "to provide an independent and comprehensive assessment with actionable recommendations for strengthening our oversight of quality in our own factories and throughout our extended commercial airplane production system."
In its preliminary report released on January 17, the FAA declared that it would scrutinize Boeing's manufacturing practices and production lines. The agency also unveiled plans for rigorous inspection and maintenance processes before taking any further steps towards returning the grounded 737-9 Max planes to service. All these planes fitted with door plugs will remain grounded until the agency reviews and approves inspection and maintenance procedures.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting an investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, the flight from which the door plug detached.
According to a news release on January 17, Boeing reports that Admiral Donald served as a nuclear-trained submarine officer for nearly four decades. He held the position of director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program for eight years, where he ensured the safety and operation of nuclear-powered warships. He currently serves as Chair of Huntington Ingalls Industries and Chair of the Nuclear Committee at Entergy Corporation.