Flying Blind
This is a compelling, deeply reported account, written in crisp, controlled anger. It is an indictment not just of one of America’s most celebrated companies, but of an entire era: of politicians believing business knew best, of regulators bending to their will, and of shareholder returns elevated above any consideration for the rest of society, including consumers’ safety — and lives. — Read the complete FT review
Synopsis
Boeing is a century-old titan of industry, having played a role in the early days of commercial flight, Second World War bombing missions and even moon landings. Yet in 2018 and 2019, two crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 killed 346 people. The crashes exposed a shocking pattern of malfeasance, leading to the biggest crisis in the company’s history - and one of the costliest corporate scandals ever. How did things go so horribly wrong?
Flying Blind is the definitive account of the disasters that shocked the world; a chilling, behind-the-scenes look at the corporate dysfunction which contributed to one of the worst tragedies in modern aviation. It’s an exposé of a reckless culture where - in a race to beat the competition and reward top executives - Boeing skimped on testing, pressured employees to meet unrealistic deadlines and ultimately convinced regulators to put planes into the air without properly equipping them or their pilots for flight.
From award-winning Bloomberg investigative journalist Peter Robison, this is the story of a business gone wildly off course. At once endlessly fascinating and deeply disturbing, it shows how the iconic company fell prey to a win-at-all-costs mentality, threatening an industry and sacrificing countless lives.
