Freefall: New Netflix documentary continues investigation into Boeing safety scandal
Director Rory Kennedy's new documentary "Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing" examines whether Boeing's safety problems persist even after the FAA lifted its 737 Max grounding order in 2020. The film covers whistleblower John Barnett's mysterious death and testimonies from victims' families.
The Netflix documentary "Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing" is a follow-up to director Rory Kennedy's 2022 film "Downfall: The Case Against Boeing," which argued that a profit-driven corporate culture at the aerospace company led to two plane crashes and 346 deaths.
The new film opens with the mysterious death of former Boeing employee and whistleblower John Barnett in March 2024. Barnett, who appeared in the first film, was found dead at a hotel during a deposition; investigators ruled it a suicide. Contributors to the film question whether Boeing's safety scandal is truly resolved, despite the US Federal Aviation Administration lifting its grounding order on the 737 Max in November 2020.
Testimonies from victims and whistleblowers
The film features people who lost loved ones in two Boeing crashes: Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019. Naoise Connolly Ryan speaks about losing her husband, Michael Ryan, in the second crash. New Boeing whistleblowers, inspired by the first film, also appear, alongside hidden camera footage from Boeing's Dreamliner plant in South Carolina, where workers say they would not fly on the planes they build.
The documentary reconstructs the January 2024 incident in which a door plug blew out mid-flight because all four bolts were missing. Barnett had warned of this danger years earlier but was disciplined rather than heeded.
Political response
The film includes Senate hearing footage in which Senator Josh Hawley criticizes former Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun over his $32.8 million salary in 2023. Calhoun has not faced criminal charges. Boeing stated that some allegations against it remain unfounded, while others are issues it has addressed or continues to improve.
