Story perspectives

Rory Kennedy’s Netflix “Freefall” spotlights Boeing safety failures

8/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Filmmaker Rory Kennedy releases the Netflix documentary “Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing.”
The film opens with the March 2024 suicide of former Boeing whistleblower John Barnett.
It recounts the January 2024 Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door-plug blowout missing four bolts.
Footage shows Dreamliner workers in South Carolina saying they would not fly the planes they build.
A Boeing spokesperson says the firm hired a CEO, launched a safety plan and addressed film claims.

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Story summary

Filmmaker Rory Kennedy releases the Netflix documentary “Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing.”
The film opens with the March 2024 suicide of former Boeing whistleblower John Barnett.
It recounts the January 2024 Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door-plug blowout missing four bolts.
Footage shows Dreamliner workers in South Carolina saying they would not fly the planes they build.
A Boeing spokesperson says the firm hired a CEO, launched a safety plan and addressed film claims.