It’s the stuff of nightmares. Shortly after takeoff in early January, a panel on an Alaska Airlines plane blew off midair. Luckily, the two seats next to that panel were empty. Not so luckily for Boeing, they are now under the microscope by regulators, while workers are coming forward, anonymously and otherwise, saying that the firm had recently been chipping away at longstanding safety practices to speed up the production process with its 737 Max. The blowback from investors, regulators and the public has been swift and isn’t even close to being over. In its pursuit of an edge over Airbus, did Boeing put profits over lives? USA TODAY Consumer Travel Reporter and author of the “Cruising Altitude” column Zach Wichter joins The Excerpt to discuss some of the many challenges Boeing faces.

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