Learning from the Boeing 737 MAX Disasters
“Pilot error is totally inadequate as a way of understanding these crashes; they are directly attributable to a failure in the design of the most recent 737 model - a failure for which the Boeing Board was ultimately responsible.”
— Professor Andrew Hopkins
Can leadership decisions be engineered to crash a multimillion-dollar aircraft?
In one of the most shocking failures in aviation history, two brand-new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed within five months of each other, claiming 346 lives. At the heart of this tragedy was a design vulnerability know as a single point failure, in which the failure of a single component can lead directly to disaster. Boeing’s safety professionals well understood the need for backup systems but in the rush to get the plane to market, this principle was overlooked.
What’s Included in the Core Training Package
- ✔ 45-minute video presentation by Professor Andrew Hopkins
- ✔ Slide visuals integrated into the video
- ✔ Detailed discussion notes (11 chapters with 3–8 questions each)
- ✔ 10 eBook copies of Learning from the Two 737 MAX Aircraft Crashes (additional copies available at discounted rates)
- ✔ Exclusive 4-page leadership critique by Professor Hopkins on Boeing’s executive decisions
Who Is This For?
This package is designed for safety leaders and professionals across high-risk industries including:
- Aviation & Aerospace
- Oil & Gas
- Transport & Logistics
- Defence & Military
- Engineering & Manufacturing
- Corporate Governance & Executive Leadership
Outcomes for participants include:
- Improved governance and audit capabilities
- Sharpened insight into organisational and latent risk
- Enhanced ability to lead safety-critical change
How It’s Used
This resource is ideal for:
- Group training workshops
- Leadership team discussions
- Graduate development programs
- Executive coaching and risk briefings
- Internal investigations and safety culture reviews
Why This Case Matters
The Boeing 737 MAX case is now taught globally in universities and boardrooms. Professor Hopkins' training package provides a practical, structured, and deeply insightful lens through which your team can reflect on how systems thinking and leadership behaviour shape organisational risk.
In early 2024, a panel blowout led to renewed scrutiny of Boeing's safety culture — underscoring that the lessons from these tragedies are not just historical, but urgently current.
About Professor Andrew Hopkins
An internationally recognised expert in process safety and accident analysis, Professor Hopkins is known for his powerful ability to translate complex failures into clear, actionable organisational lessons. His previous work has influenced safety reforms in the oil, gas, mining, and transport sectors worldwide.
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