Boeing safety culture scrutinized in new documentary

The Netflix documentary ‘Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing’ by Rory Kennedy examines the ongoing safety and corporate culture issues at Boeing. Following her 2022 film ‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing’, this new exposé investigates whether the aerospace manufacturer has truly addressed the systemic failures that led to the 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in 346 deaths.

The film highlights the experiences of whistleblowers, most notably former quality control manager John Barnett. Barnett, who had reported safety concerns for years, died by suicide in 2024 during a deposition process involving the company. The documentary features other safety inspectors who describe a corporate environment where safety reports were allegedly ignored, deleted, or met with management retaliation to prioritize profit margins.

Additional incidents, such as a 2024 Alaska Airlines flight experiencing a mid-air door plug failure, are used to illustrate the continued presence of technical and oversight issues within the company.