docav8tor

Test pilot at center of 737 Max investigation takes buyout from Southwest Airlines

Mark Forkner told a co-worker he was "Jedi mind tricking" FAA inspectors during 737 Max testing.

Rep. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., displays an email exchange behind him as he questions Boeing Company President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg as he testifies before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on 'Aviation Safety and the Future of Boeing's 737 MAX' on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019.(Andrew Harnik / AP)The former Boeing 737 Max test pilot who played a key role in the certification of the fatally flawed aircraft is taking a buyout from Southwest Airlines after two years with the Dallas carrier.

Mark Forkner, who came to Southwest in 2018 after working at Boeing on the 737 Max approval process, is departing at the end of August, Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King confirmed Friday.

Forkner was one of 4,400 employees who “opted into the voluntary separation program offered to all 60,000 Southwest Employees,” King said. About 500 pilots are taking the leave, and 28% of Southwest’s employees have volunteered to take some kind of leave or a buyout.

Forkner’s role in the 737 Max saga came under scrutiny in the fall when his messages to colleagues were some of the most damaging parts of hearings into the plane’s flawed anti-stall software system that resulted in two crashes and 346 deaths.

Forkner’s lawyer, David Gerger, did not respond to a request for comment.
Airlines

Boeing’s 737 Max test pilot looms over congressional hearings. He now works for Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines pilot Mark Forkner is becoming a critical figure in the ongoing investigation into the crashes and certification of the Boeing 737 Max planes – even if he has remained out of sight.Forkner was the chief technical pilot for the 737 Max at Boeing and left in July 2018 when he came to work for Southwest, a logical move considering the fact that Southwest is the biggest customer of the 737 Max and has staked its future on the new, fuel-efficient model. Southwest is the largest owner of 737 Max jets with 34 and has orders for hundreds more.

Forkner had been working at Southwest headquarters in Dallas and held the rank of first officer.

According to documents supplied to Congress, Forkner identified issues with the 737 Max’ MCAS system and said, “So I basically lied to the regulators (unknowingly).” Other documents indicated he was pressured by management to make sure the plane could get past regulators without requiring extra training for pilots.

Boeing’s agreement with customers such as Southwest gave a $1 million per plane refund if extra simulator training was required.

Forkner did not testify in meetings, but congressional leaders said his emails and messages were part of a broader pattern at Boeing that put an emphasis on profit over safety. An upheaval at Boeing eventually led to the departure of CEO Dennis Muilenburg and several other top executives.

The 737 Max is still grounded, although the Federal Aviation Administration finally released a list of fixes that could allow the plane to be recertified. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has said he expects the plane to be ready to fly again in the fall and that the Dallas-based airline would bring it back, even though older planes have been grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airlines

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e6bpilot

One of a handful of junior FOs who took the VSP. Guessing there is more to the story, but there is little good that could have come from his continued employment at SWA. I don't know the guy, but it seems like a pretty good guy who was an easy scapegoat since he no longer worked at Boeing once the maxes started augering in due to poor system design and even worse pilot training.

HulkaBurger

Good riddance.

tallpilot

More than a few people with dirty hands in this deal. I don’t like to see test pilots thrown under the bus when management skates away filthy rich. However let this be a reminder that email is forever and admitting to at best unethical and possibly illegal activity in one is not a good career move. I have no idea if this guy falling on his sword would have made any difference but nothing here is worthy of admiration.

FXLAX

What is worse for one’s career than admitting unethical and possibly illegal activity is actually doing it in the first place.

firefighterplt

What a clown show.

Rama

This what happens when the paycheck trumps integrity.

captive apple

Forkner is being railroaded in the great tradition of power and money.

9mikemike

unfortunate that the gross incompetence of the pilots which is the only reason those jets crashed is not being held up as the number one problem....Like everything else- blame someone else....

DarkSideMoon

Poor pilotage does not excuse poor and possibly fraudulent design and certification.