Boeing: Deadly Assumptions
In early 2019, the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer was in crisis. Plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia have killed hundreds of passengers. Engineers were stumped until they finally discovered the culprit: an inherent flaw in the MAX 737 model. Boeing: A fatal hypothesis describes the inner workings of this investigation and reveals a possible cover-up in the company’s structure.
The film opens with a fittingly sad note. Entire families are devastated by these accidents, and their grieving loved ones struggle to preserve their memories as they search for answers and the justice they deserve. A corporate whistleblower who appears in the film is involved in this mission.
The MAX 737 is a new plane equipped with a “state-of-the-art” computer software system that promises to improve the plane’s handling. Early test statistics also show that flight-control software causes one crash every three years. That’s an acceptable level of risk for Boeing executives, largely because they’re racing to beat the competition.
“This plane should not have been approved,” one aviation expert said. The software, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), is designed to take over control of the aircraft. The problem, of course, is that technology is notoriously faltering. Even pilots themselves are largely unaware of their limitations. The company purposely does not allow its pilots to train in simulators on the plane.
Not always. The film provides a background on the airline and its importance in communities like Seattle, where Boeing has long been responsible for building the middle class through its workforce.
After the accident, production of new planes stalled. But the investigation continues. The film confronts Boeing’s mishandling and negligence head-on, but they also expose the FAA’s guilt for its lazy standards of accountability.
The film is a sweeping critique of Boeing and the lax safety standards the company follows in the name of profit. It was their negligence that led to one of the most destructive and avoidable tragedies in public transportation, the film argues.
Directed by Michael Hoban, Thomas G. Becker
