Boeing Ousts Head Of Troubled 737 Max Program After Series Of Incidents
Boeing on Wednesday replaced the head of its 737 Max program amid increased scrutiny of the aircraft manufacturer, following a frightening mid-flight incident involving a 737 Max 9 last month.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal announced a broad leadership shakeup in an all-employee email this morning, including the departure of 18-year veteran Ed Clark, who oversaw both Max production and Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington.
“Ed departs with my, and our, deepest gratitude for his many significant contributions over nearly 18 years of dedicated service to Boeing,” Deal wrote.
A person familiar with the move told the Seattle Times that Clark’s departure was not voluntary.
Deal also announced the creation of a new senior position at the company overseeing quality control, as part of a broader push to ensure “that every airplane we deliver meets or exceeds all quality and safety requirements.”
The move comes in the wake of a shocking incident last month, in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out a door plug while nearly 16,000 feet above Oregon.
A preliminary investigation found the door panel was missing four bolts. Workers at Boeing’s Renton facility had removed them during repair work and never put them back.
Clark took over the division in 2021 after a series of incidents ― including two fatal crashes ― forced the worldwide grounding of 737 Max 8 jets in 2019 and 2020.
After the FAA cleared the Max 8 to fly again, Boeing CEO David Calhoun pledged to recommit the company to the core values of “safety, quality and integrity.”
