The Boeing 737 MAX exposed a catastrophic failure in the U.S. aircraft certification system — two crashes, 347 lives lost, and a crisis of confidence that shook aviation to its core. The FAA promised reform.  Instead, insiders say problems have not been admitted or corrected.

Now, as Boeing pushes to accelerate the certification of its next-generation jets — the 737 MAX 7, MAX 10, and 777X — the FAA is quietly making that process even easier (i.e. "streamlined"). What does that mean for safety? For passengers? And for accountability?

Join Ed Pierson and Joe Jacobsen as they welcome Bob Stoney, a former FAA test pilot who flew the 737 MAX during its recertification. Together, they discuss the design and manufacturing flaws that led to tragedy and the tendency to ignore problems and shift blame.

In this episode of Warning Bells, Foundation for Aviation Safety’s Ed Pierson and Randy Klatt examine how leadership—or the lack of it—shapes aviation accident investigations. Drawing lessons from recent tragedies, including the Air India Flight 171 disaster, they discuss the crucial role of integrity, humility, and accountability in uncovering the truth. The conversation highlights the inherent conflicts of interest when manufacturers and regulators investigate their own products, the dangers of withholding factual information, and why thoughtful and experienced speculation can be both healthy and necessary when official reports are lacking or non-existent.

Join host Ed, Joe, and Randy as they sit down with Juan Browne—airline captain, Air Force veteran, and the voice behind the Blancolirio aviation channel—for an unfiltered conversation about transparency in aviation investigations, healthy speculation, and why the aviation community deserves timely access to factual data.

In this episode of Warning Bells, Ed Pierson welcomes Petter Hörnfeldt—better known as the Mentour Pilot—to discuss aviation safety, pilot trust, and the critical role of transparency in an evolving industry. Alongside Joe Jacobsen and Randy Klatt of The Foundation for Aviation Safety, they unpack the realities behind the Boeing 737 MAX, examine the risks of safety complacency, and discuss how pilots rely on a wide array of support systems and other aviation professionals.

Every day, millions of passengers board planes, trusting that someone, somewhere, is keeping them safe. But behind the polished image of commercial aviation lies a hidden, bureaucratic process—managed quietly by the FAA and other aviation regulators—that is supposed to identify and communicate dangerous aircraft defects. When a problem is discovered, however, the FAA doesn’t sound an alarm alerting passengers to unsafe conditions—it sends out dense, technical service bulletins that can take several years to spark real action on the part of the manufacturer and the airlines.

In this episode of Warning Bells, Ed and Joe sit down with regulatory affairs specialist Jesika Lane to expose the murky system that governs aircraft defect reporting and resolution.

From delayed fixes to a culture of concealment, we shine a light on the quiet failures that could cost lives.

Strap in. The truth isn’t just complicated—it’s chilling.

The FAA continues to fail in their oversight of Boeing’s manufacturing operations. Boeing whistleblowers have been complaining for years about the illegal removal of thousands of quality control inspections on individual airplanes.

By the time the FAA acted, it was too little, too late. 346 people died in two MAX crashes and hundreds of airplanes have already been delivered to unsuspecting airline customers around the world.

So how did this happen? Join Ed, Joe, and safety expert Randy Klatt, as they discuss Boeing’s dangerous word games and FAA follies.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s mission is making transportation safer. One of the ways the NTSB carries out this mission is by conducting objective, thorough investigations. The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights. Join Ed and Joe as they discuss how officials at these agencies have completely failed to carry out their investigative responsibilities in the aftermath of the two Boeing 737 MAX airplane crashes. Learn how a few government officials are blocking truth, justice, and accountability while risking the lives of others.

What happens if a new or old airplane is found to have a defect, especially a dangerous defect that risks the safety of the airplane? As a passenger, when you purchase an airline ticket you understandably expect the airplane to be free of any dangerous defects. Join Ed and his guest Mike Dostert as they expose and unravel the little known, slow moving, and dysfunctional process.

Ok we admit it, no one will believe this story—but it is true. Why and how did Boeing remove thousands of quality control inspections on individual airplanes, before and after the two MAX crashes, without the FAA’s approval or knowledge and without the knowledge of Boeing’s airline customers? Join Ed and aerospace safety engineer Joe Jacobsen as they welcome Boeing IAM Union Business Representative Lloyd Catlin to the podcast. Listen to Ed & Joe unravel Mr. Catlin’s incredible story as he explains in stunning detail the systematic dismantling of Boeing’s vaunted quality program, what he told the NTSB during the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident investigation hearing, and the long-term risks to passengers and flight crew. Part 2 of 2.

Ok we admit it, no one will believe this story—but it is true. Why and how did Boeing remove thousands of quality control inspections on individual airplanes, before and after the two MAX crashes, without the FAA’s approval or knowledge and without the knowledge of Boeing’s airline customers? Join Ed and aerospace safety engineer Joe Jacobsen as they welcome Boeing IAM Union Business Representative Lloyd Catlin to the podcast. Listen to Ed & Joe unravel Mr. Catlin’s incredible story as he explains in stunning detail the systematic dismantling of Boeing’s vaunted quality program, what he told the NTSB during the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident investigation hearing, and the long-term risks to passengers and flight crew. Part 1 of 2.