Latest news with #Calhoun
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
‘Trying to squeeze every piece of profit': When US Senator grilled Boeing's Ex-CEO over safety and quality checks
Air India Crash: On June 12, Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, killing 241 onboard and 29 on the ground, including students and faculty. Following this tragic instance, an old video from the last year has resurfaced, showing US Senator Josh Hawley grilling former Boeing CEO David Calhoun over completion of required inspection records for the 787 and whether its employees falsified it, further slamming the company's safety and quality checks. "You're eliminating safety procedures, you're sticking it your employees, you're cutting back jobs, you're trying to squeeze every piece of profit you can out of this strip mining profit, shareholder value and you're rewarded for it. You got a huge raise, you increase, so it's working out great for you," Hawley scolded Calhoun. "Don't you think your priorities are misplaced here?" Hawley asked the Boeing CEO and said the whistleblowers are "literally fearing for their lives". According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in an email, the issue revolved around whether Boeing performed the necessary inspections to 'confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes", an AFP report said. Scott Stocker, head of the Boeing 787 programme, in an email to staff, had stated, 'We quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed. We promptly informed our regulator about what we learned and are taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates." He added that engineering staff assessed that the issues does not pose an immediate safety of flight risk, AFP had reported. Calhoun got $32.8 million in total compensation in 2023, a 45 percent rise as compared to $22.6 million in the previous year. When he was asked, "Frankly, sir, I think it's a travesty that you are still in your job. Why haven't you resigned?" Calhoun responded, ""I'm sticking this through. I'm proud of having taken the job. I'm proud of our safety record. And I am very proud of our Boeing people." In October 2018, all 189 people aboard a Lion Air flight died when the plane crashed into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia. A few months later, in March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed six minutes after departing from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. Both crashes were linked to faulty flight control systems. "I apologise for the grief that we have caused," Calhoun said. Calhoun was appointed the CEO of Boeing in January 2020, and the company announced Kelly Ortberg as new CEO from August 8, 2024.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Students learn to make parts, find careers at special Calhoun camp
Jun. 13—Colton Naylor tested his skill — and luck — while making precision machine parts this week during a special camp at Calhoun Community College. The intensive four-day Precision Machining Academy gives dozens of students practical, hands-on exposure to the world of CNC machining, parts design and modeling, said Amber Fortenberry, director of talent development and recruitment for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, which partners with Calhoun for the event. There will be another camp in July. Participants gained experience in programming skills, including such tasks as configuring tool offsets, setting up machines and operating equipment safely and proficiently. Students were also introduced to the use of precision measuring tools. This camp for students entering grades ninth through 12th grades was held at the Advanced Technology Center on Calhoun's Decatur campus. Naylor, 16, of Hartselle, who is home schooled, said he was drawn to the camp as a sort of career exploration. Machining interested him. "Just trying to figure out what I want to do," he said. He learned a lot this week. "I learned just how complicated machining is. I knew programming was complicated but there is a lot more learning to that than I knew." He said he "really liked" the machining part of the camp. He said each part had to be programmed before they could make it. He held out something he had made — a tiny cylindrical metal device that lets air pass through. He said it was part of an engine that blows air. He gets to keep the gizmo as a memento. Fortenberry said there is such a need for machinists in the Decatur-Morgan County area that the camp is a good way to generate interest. "What's happening is we have a population that is aging out; they are ready for retirement. So, we are really trying to expose these kids to the machining trade and how to work all of the machines so we can get them into the industries that are looking for them." According to the chamber, those who sponsored the event were able to connect their brand with future workers in the industry while supporting them in gaining valuable, high-demand skills as well as partnering with Calhoun to drive local workforce development. Fortenberry said sponsors included Indorama Ventures, Industrial Manufacturing Specialties, Nucor Decatur, Joe Wheeler EMC, Redstone Federal Credit Union and Turner Industries. In addition to learning how parts are machined, the students get to see where these parts wind up, Fortenberry said. For example, the parts they make may end up with United Launch Alliance and end up in space. — or 256-340-2361
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Father and son rescued after boat sinks off Virginia Beach coast
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The Coast Guard rescued a father and son 34 miles southwest of Virginia Beach Thursday morning. 30-year-old Jeffery Hudson was rescued alongside his father 60-year-old Robert Hudson after their sporting boat began to take on water, causing the boat to sink. At 9:07 a.m. Thursday, Coast Guard Sector Virginia Command Center watchstanders received a distress call from the crew of the 57-foot sport fisher boat Turn Me Loose, reporting their vessel was sinking and they were abandoning ship into their life raft. The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) which led to the dispatch of a 45-foot Response Boat (Coast Guard Station Little Creek), a Jayhawk helicopter crew (Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60), and patrol (USCGC Pompano WPD 87339). The crew of USCGC Calhoun (WMSL 759) and Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12 also responded after hearing the UMIB. The Coast Guard was able to pinpoint the location with the boaters' help. At 10:03 a.m., the Calhoun crew and a rescue helicopter arrived on scene to find the two men in a life raft. The Calhoun crew brought the men to safety and determined neither had any injuries. The men were ultimately brought to Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12, where they were reunited with their family. 'This successful rescue highlights the importance of preparedness and the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between multiple agencies and assets,' said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Butierries, Sector Virginia command duty officer. 'The quick response and the mariners' preparedness significantly contributed to the rescue.' The Turn Me Loose remains partially submerged approximately 30 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The Coast Guard has issued a broadcast notice to advise mariners to avoid the submerged object. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Boeing's share price tanks over 4% after Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad
US aircraft maker Boeing's share price was down over 4.32 per cent on Thursday to $204.77 apiece at 7:17 pm IST, hours after an Air India operated 787 Dreamliner flying the Ahmedabad to London Gatwick Airport flight crashed within minutes of take off in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Boeing's share price was down nearly 8 per cent in pre-market activity on Thursday. The latest crash compounds the US-based jetmaker's woes as it battles scrutiny into its work practices on account of multiple plane crashes as well as whistleblower complaints in the recent past. To be sure, this is reportedly the first ever Dreamliner crash reported across the world. The flight carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members crashed minutes after take off at 1:30 pm. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun had stepped down in 2024, making way for Kelly Ortberg, amid calls from airlines and regulators to overhaul the aerospace manufacturing giant which was best with a host of issues related to quality and safety. In January 2024, the door of an Alaska Airlines operated Boeing 737 Max jet flew out 9 minutes into a flight, prompting widespread scrutiny into the jetmaker. Taking accountability for the incident, Calhoun told CNBC in an interview he had decided to step down from the helm, adding ' Let's not avoid the call for action. Let's not avoid the need to slow down a bit and let the supply chain catch up.' Interestingly, Calhoun took the helm at Boeing after the ouster of his predecessor Dennis Muilenburg in 2020. Muilenburg struggled to handle the crisis that cropped up following two 737 Max crashes. Following the Alaska Airlines flight incident, America's Federal Aviation Administration halted Boeing's planned expansion of 737 Max jet production. The FAA refused to entertain any requests for a reversal of this order pending the regulator's satisfaction 'that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.' The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad is likely to increase the scrutiny on Boeing, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Kristine Liwag. While the best case scenario for Boeing's stock is that the crash may have occurred due to a pilot error, the worst-case scenario could be a system issue, the analyst said, giving a share price target of $200 apiece. RBC Capital analyst Ken Herbert maintained an 'outperform' rating on Boeing's stock with a share price target of $230 apiece. While the implications of the Air India flight crash are yet to be known, they are likely to overshadow Boeing's prospects ahead of the Paris air show. Under current CEO Ortberg, Boeing has embarked on a cost-cutting drive. However, he would not hesitate to add personnel at its defense and commercial aircraft unit, Ortberg said during Boeing's annual general meeting in April. Boeing was engulfed in a controversy brought by a former employee turned whistleblower John Barnett, who was found dead in 2024. The former quality manager at Boeing's North Charleston plant, which built the 787 Dreamliner, retired in 2017 citing health grounds. He alleged later that the workers at the facility were under pressure to fit sub-standard parts to the jets on the production line, the BBC reported. This was done to prevent production delays, he said. He flagged problems with the jet's oxygen systems indicating that one in four breathing masks may fail during an emergency. Since then, several whistleblower's have come forward to flag safety concerns on Boeing jets. In a June 2024 US Senate hearing, Senator's said Boeing under Calhoun faced a 'moment of reckoning' besides being accused of strip mining the company. 'You're cutting corners, you're eliminating safety procedures, you're sticking it to your employees,' Republican senator Josh Hawley said to Calhoun during the hearing.
Arab Times
31-05-2025
- Science
- Arab Times
Calhoun and the rodent trial
American ecologist and animal behaviorist John Calhoun conducted a series of experiments on rodents to explore the effects of population density on social behavior, even when all essential resources were available. His most famous experiment, known as 'Universe 25', was carried out around 60 years ago. Calhoun created a utopian environment for a colony of mice, one that was free from disease and predators, with unlimited access to food, water, nesting materials, and more than enough space to support a population far larger than the initial group. The experiment unfolded in several phases: 1. Strive period: The mice adapted to their new environment, began reproducing, and making use of the resources. 2. Exploit period: Lasting from approximately day 105 to day 315, the population grew rapidly, doubling approximately every 55 days. 3. Stagnation phase and the emergence of the Behavioral Sink: This phase lasts about 240 days, during which population growth slows dramatically despite the continued availability of resources. During this time, strange and destructive social behaviors begin to surface. Male behavior deteriorates, and they stop defending their territories and females. Some males become aggressive, attacking females and young, and exhibit abnormal sexual behaviors. Cannibalism has also been observed among the mice, despite the ample food supply. 4. Social Isolation phase: Mice become unable to form normal social bonds or engage in complex behaviors such as courtship, mating, and raising their young. Another group of mice becomes completely isolated, refusing all social and sexual interaction, spending their time solely eating, drinking, sleeping, and excessively grooming their fur. This is followed by females growing more aggressive, abandoning or even attacking their young. Some females fail to carry pregnancies to term, and mortality rates among the young rise sharply. The natural social structures collapse as social roles become unclear, and essential behaviors like mating and raising offspring cease to function effectively. 5. Death phase: This phase begins around day 600. Although some individuals remain physically capable of reproduction, the few surviving females stop bearing offspring. The last mouse died less than five years after the experiment began, in 1973. Calhoun concluded that despite abundant material resources, excessive population density and overcrowding lead to the collapse of social structures and the emergence of a series of destructive and abnormal behaviors, which he termed the Behavioral Sink. This 'behavioral degeneration,' as Calhoun called it, eventually led to the extinction of the entire population. He believed the experiment offered important lessons for humans, warning of the dangers of overpopulation and its potential effects on social behavior and psychological well-being, even in a world of material abundance. The Universe 25 experiment sparked much controversy and debate, with some questioning how applicable its findings are to complex human societies. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most notable studies in animal behavior and the impact of environment and population density. The primary goal was to examine how overcrowding affects social behavior in rodents living in an ideal environment, free from predators and disease, with unlimited food, water, and nesting materials, to understand how overcrowding alone could trigger social collapse, even in the absence of other environmental pressures.
