Boeing Airplanes has announced the appointment of Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, U.S. Navy (Ret.) as a special advisor to Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun, effective immediately. Admiral Donald, along with a team of external experts, will undertake a comprehensive review of Boeing’s quality management system for commercial airplanes.
This includes an examination of quality programs and practices at Boeing’s manufacturing facilities, as well as oversight of the quality of commercial suppliers. The findings of this assessment will be presented to Calhoun and the Aerospace Safety Committee of Boeing’s Board of Directors.
Admiral Donald brings a wealth of experience to this role, having served 37 years as a nuclear-trained submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. His most notable Navy assignment was as Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, where he was responsible for the safe and efficient operation of all nuclear-powered naval vessels and related infrastructure.
This program is globally acknowledged for its exceptional reactor safety and reliability standards. In addition to his military background, Admiral Donald holds key positions in the private sector. He is the current Chairman of the Board for Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., the largest military shipbuilder in the U.S., and also presides over the board of the nonprofit organization Battelle.
“Admiral Donald is a recognized leader in ensuring the integrity of some of the most complex and consequential safety and quality systems in the world,” said Calhoun. “I’ve asked him to provide an independent and comprehensive assessment with actionable recommendations for strengthening our oversight of quality in our own factories and throughout our extended commercial airplane production system. He and his team will have any and all support he needs from me and from across The Boeing Company.”
His experience extends to public board service with Entergy Corporation, where he serves as Chairman of the Nuclear Committee. Admiral Donald is an alumnus of the United States Naval Academy, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering.
Boeing’s Proactive Steps: Enhancing Quality Control in the Wake of Flight 1282’s Emergency Landing
The appointment of Admiral Donald follows a recent incident involving Alaska Air Flight 1282. The flight, which was traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, had to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a cabin depressurization issue caused by a door plug detachment at approximately 16,000 feet.
This incident, which thankfully did not result in serious injuries to any of the 171 passengers on board, led to a significant decline in the stock values of Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems.