Rescuers search for the black boxes at the plane crash site in Tengxian County, south China's ... [+]
As important as it is for companies to explain the circumstances or reasons that led to a crisis, it is just as important to have others come to their defense or provide their perspective when it is appropriate to do so.
Authorities, experts and observers who speak up on behalf of or defend a company that is having a crisis can help combat concerns or criticisms about the organization or its handling of the situation. That certainly appears to be the case in this week’s deadly crash of a Boeing 737-800 passenger plane in south China.
Voicing Confidence
The Washington Post reported that, “As search teams continued gathering wreckage and remains following Monday’s crash of a China Eastern flight, the outgoing chief of the Federal Aviation Administration voiced confidence Friday in the type of Boeing plane that went down and in the ability of the international aviation community to learn what went wrong.”
“FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, a retired airline pilot and Trump appointee who is stepping down next week, pointed to the strong safety record of Boeing’s Next Generation fleet of 737 passenger planes in a television interview.
“The 737-800 that crashed in southern China’s Guangxi province ‘is one of the safest aircraft ever produced in commercial operation. It’s one of the most widely used aircraft around the world. By all indications, this was an airworthy aircraft,’ Dickson said on CNBC’s Squawk Box. ‘But we’ll have to go where the facts take us.’”
“Asked about skepticism that Chinese authorities will allow a transparent review of what happened, Dickson said, ‘I’m confident we’ll get to the root cause of the crash.’”
The FAA did not immediately respond to a request to comment on why Dickson defended the safety record of the 737-800 during the CNBC interview.
Statements From Boeing
According to the BBC, “Boeing's chief executive David Calhoun said: "We have been in close communication with our customer and regulatory authorities since the accident, and have offered the full support of our technical experts to the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China."
“He added that the company would do ‘everything we can to support our customer and the accident investigation during this difficult time, guided by our commitment to safety, transparency, and integrity at every step.’”
On Boeing’s website, the company said, “We extend our deepest condolences for the loss of those on board China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers and crew, their families and all those affected by this accident.
“Boeing will continue to support our airline customers during this difficult time. In addition, a Boeing technical team is supporting the NTSB and the Civil Aviation Administration of China who will lead the investigation.”
Better Safe Than Sorry
China Eastern Airlines quickly decided to ground hundreds of the aircraft that are in their fleet.
CNN reported that, “The airline and its subsidiaries have temporarily grounded 223 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, airline spokesperson Liu Xiaodong said in a press conference on Thursday. The same type of plane was involved in the crash.
“The grounded aircraft are undergoing safety inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are safe to fly, Liu said. The airline launched a sweeping safety overhaul after the crash, he added.”
Forbes reported that, “The jet is one of the most popular aircraft in the sky and has a good safety record. Its successor, Boeing’s beleaguered 737 MAX, has only recently been allowed back into service in China after it was grounded there for three years—and by regulators worldwide for more than a year—after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia which killed 189 and 157.”
No Quick Or Easy Answers
By their very nature, some crises can take longer to investigate than others.
Forbes wrote, “Generally speaking, airplane crash investigations tend to take a long time. “Indeed, the cause may not be determined for 12 to 18 months after the accident,” according to the website of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the independent agency that investigates civil aviation incidents within the U.S.”
“If investigators recover [a] second black box, the public will still wait many months for answers. “The industry does not like to be a talking head and risk coming to unfair conclusions on either behalf of the aircraft or the crew,” according to Mark Baier, CEO of AviationManuals, a leading provider of aviation development manual services and safety management system software.
Learning From History
He said, “We ought to learn from history. The initial reactions to the 737 Max accidents were to say that Indonesia had a poor safety record and to try to denigrate the pilots in Ethiopia, prior to us all realizing that it was actually an aircraft issue and not a pilot issue.”
Advice For Business Leaders
- As a crisis unfolds at your company or organization, do not wait to reach out to others who can come to your defense about different aspects of the crisis or your management of the situation.
- The authorities, experts or observers should have relevant knowledge, expertise or experience relative to the nature of the crisis.
- Ask them to issue appropriate statements to news organizations and on social media. Do not assume that news outlets will seek them out on their own.
- The sooner they speak up, the better.
Boeing’s Latest Crisis
The crash of the 737-800 is the latest crisis or controversy to hit Boeing.
Allegations Of Fraud
In October, CNN reported that a federal grand jury indicted a former key executive of Boeing for fraud. They alleged, “he deceived the Federal Aviation Administration while it was first certifying the 737 Max jet that would go on to have two fatal crashes caused by design flaws.”
“The charges were not against a top executive. Instead, they were against Mark Forkner, 49, who was the chief technical pilot for Boeing during the certification process for the jet and is accused of deceiving the FAA during that process in 2016 and 2017.”
- Update: Forbes reported yesterday that, “... his trial ended swiftly after less than four days. With just one defense witness testifying, the jury found Forkner not guilty less than two hours after the two sides rested their cases on Wednesday in Fort Worth, Texas.”
Potential Electrical Issues
Last April, Boeing faced another crisis involving its 737 MAX. As reported by Forbes, the airline manufacturer has recommended that a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX airplanes be addressed before they fly again.
- Update: A month later, Boeing said it expected to resume deliveries of 737 Max planes “within the week” after federal officials approved a fix for an electrical problem while U.S. airlines are starting repairs on dozens of grounded jets. The Federal Aviation Administration approved the repairs for the manufacturing flaw, which grounded more than 100 planes in service last month.”
Engine Explosion
In February 2021, an engine on a United 777 exploded over Denver, raining debris on a neighborhood below.
- Update: Earlier this month, Newsweek reported that “the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving ahead with new regulations intended to prevent engines on some Boeing 777 planes from breaking and potentially catching on fire midair.”
Overcoming Stigma
In November 2020, I reported that “the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to lift its ban on Boeing’s 737 MAX marks the end of one chapter of this crisis for the airplane manufacturer and the beginning of another. The company must now convince airlines that it is safe to return the planes to service, buy new ones and overcome the fear people have in flying in them.”
- Update: According to Boeing, as of mid-March, “since December 2020, more than 185 out of 195 countries have approved a service return. More than 35 airlines globally have safely operated the 737 MAX for more than 400,000 revenue flights and more than one million hours, with schedule reliability above 99%.”
