WOEING: FAA panel finds Boeing safety culture wanting, recommends overhaul.

The report, written by a panel of independent aviation experts, cites “a disconnect” between Boeing’s senior management and engineering employees with respect to safety oversight. It states the panel “observed inadequate and confusing implementation” of essential elements of a positive safety culture.

The report focuses particularly on how Boeing manages engineering employees who conduct internal oversight on behalf of the FAA, work that is delegated to Boeing by the safety agency.

More than 1,000 such Boeing employees are legally required to have “a commitment to safety above all other priorities.”

However, the panel flags concern that those employees may be fearful of raising safety issues that cause delays in certification or production, stating that the jetmaker’s internal safety reporting systems may not function “in a way that ensures open communication and non-retaliation.”

The report acknowledges that changes Boeing made since 2020 have encouraged employees to speak up more, but it concludes that the current culture “still allows opportunities for retaliation to occur, particularly with regards to salary and furlough ranking.”

Boeing’s white-collar union representing engineers and technical staff, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), on Monday said its members “have long reported a disconnect between the messaging they get from Boeing headquarters in Chicago or Virginia, and the messages they get from their direct supervisors here.”

“The report reflects the reality that people who see something are afraid of saying anything for fear of jeopardizing their careers,” SPEEA added in a statement.

That fear is generated from the top, where the deepest changes need to be made.