Turns Out They Don't Like High Profile Conjecture Until the Investigation Is Complete

The NTSB made headlines this month when they publicly chastised Boeing for their interactions with media, noting that the company "providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the January 5 door-plug blowout on a Boeing passenger jet in Portland, Oregon."

The firm was in such trouble, in fact, that the NTSB announced a series of restrictions and sanctions for the leaks. Boeing will retain its party status in the ongoing investigation, at least, but it will no longer have access to the investigative information that comes into the record as the case develops.

Overall, the NTSB was very unhappy to see Boeing's candid interactions with the media at large, citing briefings, quotes, and some particularly loose-lipped employees. The Board reminded Boeing that until they release the final report regarding the door-plug incident, "only appropriate NTSB personnel are authorized to publicly disclose investigative information and, even then, the disclosure is limited to factual information verified during the course of the investigation." Boeing has been included as a party to the investigation in order to ease the information sharing system as everyone gets to the roots of the unfortunate incident, not to give them media fodder.

In late June, Senior VP for Quality overseeing Boeing's Commercial Aircraft Elizabeth Lund gave a media briefing without the consent or knowledge of the NTSB, rankling the board by releasing "non-public investigative information" alongside info that was "either inaccurate or unknown to the NTSB." Worse still, some parts had not been previously disclosed to the public until Lund spoke to reporters. The NTS said "this disregard of the federal regulation and rules governing investigations cannot be tolerated."

FMI: www.ntsb.gov