Boeing aviation milestone
The Birth of Boeing and Early Contributions
At its Renton Field facility in Washington state, on the south shore of Lake Washington, on May 14, 1954, Boeing, one of the biggest commercial aerospace companies in the world, unveiled the Model 367-80 prototype, the first passenger-plane powered by a jet engine. Jetliners continue to be made there today.
On January 22, 1970, the 367-80 would finally be retired, but not before its technology was applied to the development of the well-known 707 type and, subsequently, the wildly successful 737.
Airlines were at first unwilling to adopt jet technology due to concerns about costs and noise levels, among other drawbacks. Yet, the 367-80’s successful test flights proved the progress aviation has made in terms of higher altitudes and greater speeds.
In the end, this feat served as a foundation for the 1957 debut of Boeing’s 707 aircraft. On October 26, 1958, US airline Pan Am launched regular 707 flights, signifying a wider acceptance of jet aircraft in the industry. Propeller-driven aircraft had taken over commercial aviation before the 707. After its 1967 introduction, Boeing’s 737 model went on to become the most economically successful aircraft in aviation history.
However, Boeing has experienced several technical setbacks recently. Most recently, a Boeing 767 freight plane had to make an emergency landing when its front landing gear failed, and a Boeing 737 carrying 85 people caught fire and skidded off a runway at Senegal’s main airport, wounding 10 people, including the pilot. Recently, engineers discovered an issue with a rocket valve, forcing Boeing to reschedule the launch of its new CST-100 Starliner capsule, which was intended to be launched into space. This timeline shows some of the highs and lows for Boeing throughout the previous 100 years.
World War Contributions and the Development of Bombers
A century in the air – some of Boeing’s highs
World War I
William Boeing initially established the business in 1916 under the name Pacific Aero Products Co. It was formally renamed Boeing Airplane Co. in 1917, just after the United States entered the war. Boeing signed a deal with the US Navy to produce 50 Curtiss HS-2L seaplanes, built a new patrol “flying boat,” and supplied the US Navy with Model C trainer aircraft throughout the war.
It also manufactured the first bomber plane designed and built in the United States, the Martin MB-1 bomber, which made its first flight in 1917.
World War II
Boeing manufactured bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress during World War II. The two airplanes that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the B-29 Superfortresses, Enola Gay and Bockscar.
The bombing of the atomic bomb killed about 200,000 lives. Radiation exposure would cause long-term impacts on survivors, including radiation sickness and malignancies like lung, thyroid, and leukemia.
Commercial Aviation Revolution: The 737 and 707 Jetliners
Launch of the 737 airliner
Boeing made a major impact on commercial aviation with the introduction of the 737 series of jetliners in 1967. One of the most popular commercial jetliners in aviation history, the model would go on to be sold. There are almost 12,000 created.
Reaching for the Moon: Boeing’s Role in the Apollo Program
Boeing made the first Saturn V rocket in 1967 as part of the Apollo program, that later led to American astronaut Neil Armstrong ending up the first person to set foot on the moon. When Apollo 11 launched in 1969, it was the same type of rocket that would land men on the moon.
Boeing, the billion-dollar company
In 1956, Boeing achieved its first $1 billion in sales. It is presently valued at $109.5 billion. It was first publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange in January 1978 and trades under the ticker code BA.
Which fatal crashes have involved Boeing planes?
Lion Air crash, 2018
On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 domestic passenger flight, crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Indonesia, en route to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang. All 189 people on board were killed in the crash, which took place more than 100 years after Boeing was first founded. After a year-long inquiry, the Indonesian authorities identified several contributing factors, including maintenance issues, poor training, and an aircraft design defect that had caused the jet to crash.
Ethiopian Airlines crash, 2019
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, crashed near the Ethiopian town of Bishoftu on March 10, 2019, less than a year after the Lion Air incident. The crash claimed the lives of all 157 people on board. The flight took off and crashed within six minutes. They also detected the identical technological problem that had been identified in the Lion Air instance.
Concerns regarding a malfunctioning sensor that was causing the plane’s Manoeuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) to continuously tilt the aircraft downward and force it to dive led to the global grounding of the 737 MAX. The Boeing board dismissed CEO Dennis Muilenburg as chairman but kept him as CEO in response to the criticism over the design fault.
After the issue was fixed, the FAA finally approved the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again in November 2020. However, Boeing had already come under fire from the US House Transportation Committee for failing to put in stronger safety protocols.
What incidents involving Boeing planes have happened this year?
Alaskan Airlines door panel blowout, January
The pilots of Alaskan Airlines flight 1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, were forced to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in January of this year due to a door panel that blew out, resulting in rapid decompression. There were a few minor injuries among the passengers, but no one was killed or seriously hurt. Immediately, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all 171 737 Max 9 aircraft that were in operation globally. An early investigation revealed loose hardware.
Conspiracy theories surrounding the tragedy have been more prevalent in the last three months due to the deaths of two Boeing whistleblowers.
Investigations and Whistleblower Allegations
In March 2019, it was discovered that John Barnett, a quality control engineer who spent over thirty years working for Boeing, had passed away. His truck was sitting in a South Carolina hotel parking lot when his body was found there, with a gunshot wound and a suicide note inside.
Current Year Incidents and Safety Records
Air Senegal plane skids off runway, May
At Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport, a chartered Air Senegal Boeing B737-300 aircraft went off a runway before takeoff early on Thursday, May 9. Eighty-five passengers, including two pilots and four cabin crew, were traveling to Bamako, the capital of Mali, on a TransAir flight. Ten or more persons were hurt, according to the Ministry of Transportation. Images of the wrecked aircraft displayed it at a stop in a field of grass, its emergency escape slides out. One wing was damaged. Social media videos seemed to depict a left wing that was on fire.
Boeing Starliner launch halted, May
On May 7, 2024, engineers at Boeing announced the cancellation of the first crewed flight of the CST-100 Starliner space capsule due to a problem with the Atlas V rocket valve. About an hour after the two NASA astronauts had buckled into the spacecraft and two hours before the planned liftoff on Monday, the launch was canceled.
Is Boeing’s safety record being investigated?
Over the last three years, 32 whistleblower complaints have been filed against Boeing with the US workplace safety agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Additionally, US air safety inspectors are looking into possible Boeing employee falsification of 787 Dreamliner inspection documents.
Another whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, a ten-year Boeing employee and quality engineer, had concerns about the 787 Dreamliner’s safety. Salehpour provided testimony regarding the safety of the 777 and 787 airplanes last month during a congressional hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“I have examined Boeing’s data and have concluded that the company is adopting manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 program that could lead to a significant reduction in the aircraft’s life cycle and safety,” the speaker declared. Boeing vehemently denied the allegations and declared its “complete confidence in the 787 Dreamliner.”