Case Study #1: the Air Force Brake

In my opinion, Mr. Vandivier would be morally responsible for any "accidents" that resulted when pilots tested the brake. I believe that because he knew of the serious problems that could result in this product being released to the Air Force. When Mr. Lawson approached Mr. Vandivier with the issue in the very beginning, it was Mr. Vandivier’s choice to tell the Goodrich members of the error that he had made in creating the brakes. It was also Goodrich’s responsibility to not take part in shutting down the experiment when they knew that it was 100 pounds per square inch over what the breaks were originally supposed to be tested at. I believe that all people that knew about the issue should be held responsible for the accident. I believe that the biggest weight should weight on Mr. Vandivier though. He was the one that made the ultimate decision as to whether to do the paperwork or not. Mr. Lawson, is also at major fault, however, without Mr. Vandivier he could not have completed the report needed to finalize the product. When Mr. Vandivier first questioned himself, he should have stopped and not done it. I believe that having the weight of possible being the reason for a death is more important than any job, no matter what the pay is. It says that Mr. Vandivier was well known for his engineering skills so finding another job, should not have been as hard of a decision.
Velasquez, M. (2012). Business ethics: Concepts and cases (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River: