Boeing CEO Says 737 Max 9 Issues Are ‘Our Mistake’

Boeing’s CEO said Tuesday during an all-staff meeting that the company has to acknowledge the issues with its 737 Max 9 after a panel on an Alaska Airlines jet blew off mid-air. 

“We’re going to approach this, number one, acknowledging our mistake,” Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said during the meeting in comments shared by the company. 

Calhoun’s comments come as the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded the 737-9 and said the aircraft cannot go back into service until it deems it is safe to do so. The FAA paused inspections on the 737-9 after United and Alaska — the only U.S. carriers that operate the 737-9 — found some loose hardware in their initial inspections. 

Boeing has to send revised instructions for 737-9 inspections for FAA approval before carriers can continue their inspections of the aircraft. It’s unclear when the 737-9 will be able to go back into service; airlines initially expected the disruptions caused by the 737-9 grounding to last through at least mid-week. 

“The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service,” the FAA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Calhoun also acknowledged the terrifying nature of the Alaska incident, where a door plug fell off when the plane was at 16,000 feet in the air, causing damage to around 12 rows on the aircraft. 

“When I got that picture, all I could think about — I didn’t know what happened so whoever was supposed to be in the seat next to that hole in the airplane,” Calhoun said. “I’ve got kids, I’ve got grandkids and so do you. This stuff matters. Every detail matters.”

The plane was able to land all 177 passengers and crew safely. No one was seriously injured.

Calhoun said Boeing would work with the NTSB in its investigation. 

“We’re going to approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way,” he said. “We are going to work with the NTSB who is investigating the accident itself to find out what the cause is ... I trust every step they take, and they will get to a conclusion.”