The Federal Aviation Administration Finds Boeing’s Non-Compliance with Manufacturing Quality Control Requirements
Following a comprehensive six-week audit, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has exposed Boeing’s failure to adhere to manufacturing quality control standards in multiple instances (source). The audit was initiated by the aviation safety regulator after an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 aircraft narrowly experienced a potentially catastrophic incident on January 5 (source).
The FAA’s Discovery: Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems Fall Short
The FAA’s audit exposed deficiencies not only in Boeing but also in Spirit AeroSystems, a key aerospace company responsible for building Boeing’s 737 fuselages.
According to the FAA, Boeing showcased non-compliance issues in areas such as manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control. The agency’s latest release is only a partial report as their investigation is ongoing.
FAA’s Progress in the Investigation so far
This audit is part of several crucial steps taken by the FAA in response to the door plug incident observed during Alaska Airlines flight 1282. An initial National Transportation Safety Board report found that the involved Alaska Airlines jet lacked the four bolts necessary to secure the door plug in place (source).
By February, the FAA initiated a performance improvement plan for Boeing, demanding the development of a comprehensive solution to address the company’s systemic quality-control issues. Additionally, the FAA restricted Boeing’s production of the 737 Max jets. The regulator’s administrator, Mike Whitaker, expressed the agency’s commitment to having a stronger presence at both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems to inspect their respective facilities. Simultaneously, Boeing’s general manager, Ed Clark, announced his departure after a long tenure with the aircraft manufacturer (source).
The ongoing investigation will involve reviewing Boeing’s “corrective actions” to affirm if the company has adequately addressed the FAA’s discoveries. Moreover, Boeing has recently expressed its interest in acquiring Spirit AeroSystems based in Wichita, Kansas (source).
