At the same time as the Southwest 737 Flight 812 debacle was unfolding–almost as rapidly as the fuselage skin tore off the aircraft shortly after departure from Phoenix–a book crossed my desk that could have been written for the aviation industry, and Boeing and Southwest in particular. But the FAA could also take a lesson. Rarely do I read a book not written specifically for our industry that I think is a must-read for aviation executives and workers alike, from top to bottom, from airlines to GA, from captains to mechanics to gate agents and everyone in between. And, dare I say, most especially for the FAA. That book is Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril by Margaret Heffernan.
The lessons of the book were hauntingly present as I read various media reports of Boeing appearing to take the public relations hit for its largest customer, saying it was surprised (surprised!) by the cracks in a high-cycle aircraft that let a five-foot skylight punch through the fuselage to the horror of the passengers and crew. According to The Wall Street Journal, a Boeing spokesperson referring to the damage on the 737, stated, “We did not expect this to happen.” Wow! Really? Boeing didn’t expect a high-cycle aircraft to develop cracks that could ultimately break open and peel away the skin of the fuselage? Sounds hard to believe.
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