Boeing Replaces 737 MAX Program Leader Ed Clark With Katie Ringgold

Ed Clark, who oversaw the Renton, Washington, factory that produced the plane involved in the recent door plug blowout, has been ousted from Boeing. He is replaced with Katie Ringgold as part of a broader leadership change. Clark was previously the chief mechanic and engineer for the 737 MAX factory and was named head of the program in 2021, the fifth person in four years to run it, according to Reuters.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal wrote in an email to employees that Clark “departs with my, and our, deepest gratitude for his many significant contributions over nearly 18 years of dedicated service to Boeing,” as reported by The Seattle Times. The memo also listed other management changes, including creating a senior vice president position for quality and safety filled by Elizabeth Lund.

The facility continues to deal with the fallout from an incident involving a MAX 9 jet that lost a door plug mid-flight earlier this year. On Jan. 5, 2024, a door panel on an Alaska Airlines plane manufactured by Boeing blew out mid-flight over Portland. This forced an emergency landing and raised concerns about the safety of the aircraft.

On Feb. 6, Boeing shared a statement on a preliminary NTSB report after the incident. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun holds the company accountable for what happened midair on the Alaska Airlines flight.

Calhoun said, “Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened.” He added that the incident should have never happened on a plane that left Boeing’s factory. Calhoun maintained that the company “must do better” for its customers.

Calhoun claims Boeing is implementing a “comprehensive plan to strengthen quality and the confidence of our stakeholders.” He understands that the company must be transparent in its quality control moving forward.

737 MAX series jets were previously involved in two crashes, one in 2018 and another in 2019. These tragic incidents killed at least 346 people.