Boeing safety issues highlighted in new Netflix documentary

The Netflix documentary ‘Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing’, directed by Rory Kennedy, investigates the corporate culture and safety failures at Boeing. The film explores how financial pressures and a focus on cost reduction allegedly compromised engineering excellence and safety standards.

Key elements of the investigation include the role of the MCAS software in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, which resulted in 346 deaths. The documentary highlights testimonies from whistleblowers, most notably former quality inspector John Barnett, who raised concerns regarding defective parts and rushed assembly processes before his death by suicide.

Additionally, the production examines regulatory shortcomings, specifically criticizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for delegating excessive oversight responsibilities to Boeing itself, thereby reducing the rigor of independent inspections.