HELD ON $1 MILLION BAIL. HE WAS ARRESTED ON A
TIP FROM SOMEONE WHO
KNEW HIM.
>>> NOW OUR NBC NEWS
EXCLUSIVE WITH THE
BOEING 737 MAX STILL
GROUNDED AFTER TWO
DEADLY CRASHES, A
WHISTLE BLOWER IS
GOING PUBLIC TO NBC
CYNTHIA MCFADDEN
SAYING HE WARNED THE
COMPANY WITH
PRODUCTION PROBLEMS
BEFORE THE PLANES WENT
DOWN.
WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE
THE LAST DAY AT
BOEING, THE DAY YOU
RETIRED?
>> FELT LIKE I WAS
BANNING THE TITANIC.
>> Reporter: AFTER 30
YEARS IN THE MILITARY,
MUCH IT OF SPENT IN AN
AIRPORT, ED PEARSON
HAS A STRONG SENSE OF
DUTY.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO
COME TALK TO US TO
COME AND TESTIFY LATER
THIS WEEK IN FRONT OF
CONGRESS?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY, IT
WASN’T MY PLAN.
I FEEL LIKE I DIDN’T
REALLY HAVE A CHOICE.
>> Reporter: BOTTOM
LINE IS YOU’RE WORRIED
ABOUT PEOPLE DYING IN
BOEING PLANES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Reporter: IN 2008
PEARSON WENT TO WORK
FOR BOEING AT THEIR
MASSIVE PLANT IN
WASHINGTON WHERE ALL
THE COMPANY’S 737s ARE
BUILT.
THE 737 WAS A
MAGNIFICENT AIRPLANE.
GREAT SAFETY RECORD.
WERE YOU EXCITED TO
WORK FOR THE COMPANY
AND BE PART OF THE 737
PRODUCTION?
>> HOW COULD YOU NOT
WANT TO WORK FOR
BOEING?
IT AN AMAZING COMPANY.
>> Reporter: IN 2013
AS THE 737 MAX
PRODUCTION RAMPED UP,
ED PEARSON STARTED TO
SEE THINGS THAT
ALARMED HIM.
>> IT WAS JUST OUT OF
CONTROL, AND IT WAS
RIDICULOUS.
>> Reporter: THE RACE
TO BUILD THE NEW
PLANES AND COMPETE
WITH EUROPE’S AIRBUS
PUSHED THE PRODUCTION
SCHEDULE INTO OVER
DRIVE.
INSTEAD OF 47 PLANES A
MONTH, 52 WERE BEING
BUILT.
SO HOW MUCH OVER TIME
WAS GOING ON AT THIS
POINT?
DID IT DOUBLE?
>> MORE THAN DOUBLE.
YOU WORK SEVEN DAYS
STRAIGHT, YOU’RE BEAT,
YOU KNOW AND YOU’RE
TIRED.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS
DURING THIS PERIOD,
MANY PEOPLE WORKED
WEEKEND AFTER WEEKEND
AS THERE WEREN’T
ENOUGH ENGINEERS OR
ELECTRICIANS AND SOME
ENDED UP DOING JOBS
THEY HAD NEVER BEEN
TRAINED FOR.
A PERFECT STORM FOR
PRODUCTION PROBLEMS HE
SAYS.
HE SENT THIS EMAIL TO
THE HEAD OF THE 737
TEAM IN JUNE 2018 AND
PRESS
-- EXPRESSING HIS
CONCERN WORKERS WERE
INADVERTENTLY
EMBEDDING SAFETY
HAZARDS INTO OUR
AIRPLANES.
I KNOW HOW DANGEROUS A
SMALL DETECT CAN BE TO
AN AIRPLANE.
HE URGED THE BOEING
MANAGER TO SHUT DOWN
THE FACTORY FOR A FEW
WEEKS TO STRAIGHTEN
THINGS OUT.
WHAT WAS HIS REACTION?
>> WE CAN’T SHUT DOWN
AND I GOT MAD AND SAID
I’VE SEEN MILITARY
OPERATIONS SHUT DOWN
FOR A LOT LESS.
>> Reporter: WHAT WAS
HIS REPLY TO THAT?
>> SOMETHING I’LL
NEVER FORGET.
HE SAID WELL, MILITARY
IS NOT A PROFIT-MAKING
ORGANIZATION.
>> Reporter: WHAT
WORDS WOULD YOU
DESCRIBE THAT FACTORY
AT THAT POINT?
>> DANGEROUS.
UNNECESSARY.
TAKING AN UNNECESSARY
RISK.
CHAOTIC.
RISK. CHAOTIC. >> Reporter: FOUR
MONTHS LATER A LION
AIR 737 MAX CRASH
KILLING ALL 189 PEOPLE
ON BOARD.
AND THE IRONY THAT
WHEN U YO WROTE THAT
FIRST LETTER, THAT
LION AIRPLANE WAS ON
THE FACTORY FLOOR.
>> IT WAS WITHIN THE
PRODUCTION SYSTEM AT
THE TIME.
WHEN I SAW THAT, THAT
WAS -- I REALLY CAN’T
SAY.
I MEAN, I CAN’T KNOW
HOW TO DESCRIBE.
I CRIED A LOT.
>> Reporter: DID YOU?
>> YEAH.
I’M MAD AT MYSELF
BECAUSE I FELT LIKE
MAYBE I COULD HAVE
DONE MORE.
>> Reporter: OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS HE
REACHED OUT TO THE
BOEING CEO AND GENERAL
COUNSEL BUT FELT
NOTHING WAS BEING
DONE.
19 DAYS AFTER SENDING
THIS LETTER TO THE
BOEING BOARD, A SECOND
737 MAX CRASHED.
AFTERWARDS THE 737 MAX
WAS GROUNDED.
BOEING HAS
ACKNOWLEDGED MISTAKES
INCLUDING THAT THEIR
ANTI STALL SYSTEM
CONTRIBUTED TO BOTH
CRASHES.
PEARSON SAYS HE
DOESN’T KNOW IF WHAT
HE WITNESSED
CONTRIBUTED TO THE
CRASHES BUT IT’S THE
UNCERTAINTY THAT
DISTURBS HIM.
>> SOMEWHERE IN THE
END OF MY LETTER TO
THE BOARD, I SAID NO
ONE WANTS TO WAKE UP
ONE MORNING AND HEAR
OF ANOTHER ACCIDENT,
AND THAT’S EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO
YOU SAY TO AMERICANS
WHO ARE PLANNING TO
FLY ON A 737 EVEN IN
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS?
>> MY FAMILY IS IN THE
SAME BOAT.
I WOULD DEMAND THAT
THE FAA AND THEIR ROLE
AS REGULATORS GO IN
THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE
THAT FACTORY.
>> CYNTHIA, WHAT IS
BOEING SAYING ABOUT
THIS.
>> Reporter: LESTER,
WHILE THE 737 MAX
FLEET ARE GROUNDED,
THERE ARE MORE THAN
6800 OTHER 737s
FLYING.
BOEING IS PUSHING BACK
STRONGLY SAYING THE
737 IS ONE OF THE
SAFEST PLANES FLYING
AND SAY QUOTE, THE
SUGGESTION BY MR.
PEARSON OF A LINK
BETWEEN HIS CONCERNS
AND THE RECENT MAX
ACCIDENTS IS
COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED.
AND THEY SAY SO FAR NO
INVESTIGATORS HAVE
FOUND QUOTE PRODUCTION