Whistleblower (former Boeing employee) walks off 737 Max

Ed Pierson, who worked for Boeing from 1984 to 2016, was a key figure in the investigation into the Boeing 737 Max crash that killed 346 people. In 2018, he wrote a report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) detailing what he
believed were flaws in Boeing's safety culture and procedures.

Pierson had previously worked on the development of the 737 Max, and was concerned that some of its new features, such as the MCAS anti-stall system, had not been adequately tested or validated before being released to customers. He also
believed that Boeing's focus on cost reduction had led to a lack of attention to safety issues.

In response to Pierson's concerns, the FAA launched an investigation into Boeing's safety culture and procedures. The agency found that some employees had been pressured to cut corners or prioritize production over safety, and that there were
gaps in the company's training and testing processes.

As a result of Pierson's report, the FAA implemented new policies regarding the handling of customer complaints related to aircraft design. The agency also increased its oversight of Boeing's 737 Max program and required additional software
updates to address concerns about MCAS.

Despite these efforts, the Boeing 737 Max remained grounded for more than two years after the second crash in March 2019, and it was not until January 2020 that it was cleared to return to service by the FAA following an extensive review
process.