Boeing fails 33 FAA product audits following mid-flight panel blowout: Report

Boeing failed 33 of the Federal Aviation Administration’s 89 product audits that were recently conducted as a result of a mid-flight panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January, according to the New York Times.

An FAA slide presentation obtained by the Times reportedly revealed that a six-week audit conducted by the federal agency found several problems with Boeing’s production of its 737 Max airplanes. The FAA stated that it discovered “multiple instances” in which Boeing and its former subsidiary, Spirit AeroSystems, failed to comply with quality-control standards.

The presentation indicated that of the 89 product audits, Boeing passed 56 and failed 33. The FAA reportedly found 97 instances of alleged noncompliance.

Spirit AeroSystems also underwent 13 product audits concerning its production of the 737 Max fuselage. According to the Times’ review of the FAA’s presentation, the company failed seven audits and passed six. Additionally, Spirit reportedly failed an audit that dealt with the installation of the door plug, the component that blew off mid-air during an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this year. Additionally, the agency found that Boeing failed to check the aircraft’s door plug.

The federal agency stated that it observed one Spirit mechanic using a hotel key card to inspect a door seal and another applying liquid dish soap “as a lubricant” to a door seal. The FAA noted that the methods were “not identified/documented/called-out in the production order.” The agency added that instructions provided to the workers were “vague and unclear on what specifications/actions are to be followed or recorded by the mechanic.”

Many of the issues the FAA’s 20 auditors discovered were related to a failure to follow an “approved manufacturing process, procedure or instruction,” the presentation stated.

The FAA interviewed six Boeing engineers to assess their understanding of the company’s quality-control process. According to the presentation, the engineers received an average score of just 58%.

A spokesperson for Spirit told the Times that the company was “reviewing all identified nonconformities for corrective action.”

“Meanwhile, we continue multiple efforts undertaken to improve our safety and quality programs,” Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for Spirit, said. “These improvements focus on human factors and other steps to minimize nonconformities.”

In a statement to the news outlet, Boeing spokesperson Jessica Kowal said the airplane manufacturer continued “to implement immediate changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to strengthen safety and quality, and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers.”

The FAA told the Times it could not release additional details while its investigation into Boeing remained ongoing. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Justice are also investigating the airplane manufacturer.

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