Boeing has fired chief executive Harry Stonecipher after he had an affair with a female executive that violated company rules.
Chairman Lewis Platt said on a conference call that Mr Stonecipher was not ousted because of the affair, but he declined any further comment on the circumstances.
Boeing, the top US aircraft maker whose ethics have been under scrutiny, said its board "asked for and received" Mr Stonecipher's resignation. The company said the board took action after another employee told it about the relationship, citing correspondence between the two.
"As we explored the circumstances we felt there were some issues of poor judgment that would impair his ability to lead," Mr Platt said on the conference call.
He said the female employee's career and compensation had not been affected by the relationship, which began this year. "It's not the fact that he was having an affair," Mr Platt said.
The relationship with the female employee, who did not report directly to Mr Stonecipher, was consensual, Boeing said. Mr Stonecipher (68) is married and has two children and two grandchildren.
Boeing chief financial officer James Bell (56) will succeed Mr Stonecipher on an interim basis.