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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Spirit AeroSystems, a principal supplier to aerospace giant Boeing, amid safety concerns linked to Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft, which has been involved in several fatal accidents since 2018.
Paxton’s probe is centered on uncovering manufacturing defects that have led to the grounding of numerous Boeing aircraft. He said, “The potential risks associated with certain airplane models are deeply concerning and potentially life-threatening to Texans.”
Further intensifying the scrutiny, Paxton’s investigation also focuses on the controversial dismissal of whistleblower Joshua Dean, who was fired after flagging critical safety issues. Paxton’s orders demand that Spirit AeroSystems provide documents detailing the manufacturing flaws and explain the rationale behind Dean’s termination. In an interview with NPR, Dean criticized the company’s approach to quality assurance, stating, “We’re having a pizza party because we’re lowering defects, but we’re not lowering defects. We just ain’t reporting them, you know what I mean?”
Paxton is also investigating the aerospace supplier’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, suggesting a potential link to the series of mishaps. In response, Spirit AeroSystems’ spokesman, Joe Buccino, stated, “While we do not comment on investigations, Spirit is wholly focused on providing the highest quality products to all our customers, to include the Boeing Company.”
This investigation comes after a series of catastrophic and sometimes fatal incidents involving Boeing aircraft, notably the 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which claimed 346 lives. A recent incident with an Alaska Airlines 737 manufactured by Spirit that lost a door mid-flight and the halting of 50 planes’ deliveries due to improperly drilled holes have highlighted the urgency of addressing these safety concerns.
