The Senate hearing with Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun began with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the subcommittee, acknowledging the families of the two fatal crashes.
Those relatives included families of four of the 346 who died in two accidents, one in October 2018 in Indonesia and another in 2019, in Ethiopia. They were all standing and holding pictures of their deceased relatives.
Additionally, there were two relatives of John Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower who died earlier this year from what police have determined was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Blumenthal said Barnett's death came “under the immense pressure the company put on him.”
“To all of you, thank you for having the strength and courage to be with us. We are deeply sorry for your losses,” Blumenthal said. He said it was important to begin the hearing by acknowledging those who had died.
“The issues before us today have real human consequences. Life or death results. Not just abstract numbers,” Blumenthal said. “This hearing is a moment of reckoning. “This is a company, once an iconic company known for its engineering excellence and product craftsmanship, that somehow lost its way.”
Calhoun began his opening remarks with an apology to the families of those who died in the two 737 Max crashes, as well as the passengers and crew who were on the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max flight from January 5 to that a door stopper broke. , leaving a huge hole in the side of the plane.
“I apologize for the pain we have caused,” he said, as he turned to look at the family members who were present. “I want you to know that we are fully committed to working on safety. … I'm sorry.”
