Boeing 737 Max official away after mid-air accident

Boeing said Wednesday it was shaking up leadership at its commercial aircraft unit after a harrowing incident last month in which a piece fell from a 737 Max 9 plane in flight.

Ed Clark, the head of Boeing's 737 Max program, which includes the Max 9, is leaving immediately, Stan Deal, the chief executive of Boeing's commercial aircraft division, said in a memo to employees. Boeing, which has also announced other leadership changes, is under pressure from regulators, airlines and members of Congress to prove its commitment to making safe planes.

Boeing has announced in recent weeks that it will overhaul its quality control process, including increased inspections at the Renton, Washington, plant where Mr. Clark oversaw Max production. The leadership changes are the company's highest-profile effort to show it is holding itself accountable for the Jan. 5 incident that left a hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane.

Mr Clark took over the Max program in 2021 as the company accelerated production of the plane, which was banned from flying worldwide for 20 months after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. These crashes have cost Boeing billions of dollars, seriously damaged its image and brought the company much more scrutiny from regulators around the world.

This is a development story. Check back for updates.