“Non-compliance issues” have been identified in the production control of American aircraft manufacturer Boeing and its subcontractor Spirit Aerosystems, the United States Aviation Agency (FAA) said on Monday.
“The FAA has identified non-compliance issues in the manufacturing control process, handling and storage of spare parts, and production control,” it said in a statement.
The six-week audit carried out at Boeing and at Spirit Aerosystems, which notably supplies it with fuselages, highlighted “multiple examples in which the companies apparently did not comply with production quality control requirements” , specified the FAA, in a progress update on the audit launched after an incident that occurred on January 5.
That day, a cap holder on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 detached from the cabin a few minutes after takeoff.
In the process, all aircraft of this configuration were grounded and the air regulator launched, among other measures, an audit of the American giant’s production process. The latter reported several production problems in 2023.
Asked about the progress report published Monday by the FAA, Boeing simply referred to the statements of its boss Dave Calhoun after his meeting on February 27 with Mike Whitaker, boss of the regulator.
“Thanks to the safety awareness days, the findings of the FAA audit and the recent expert report, we have a clear vision of what needs to be done,” responded Mr. Calhoun.
He confirmed the upcoming development of an action plan “with evaluation criteria illustrating the profound change demanded by the FAA”. Management is “totally mobilized to succeed in this challenge,” he added.
During this meeting, Mr. Whitaker warned the group’s leaders that Boeing must commit to making “real and substantial improvements,” the FAA indicated.
The manufacturer must in particular submit to the regulator, within 90 days, a “comprehensive action plan to remedy its systemic quality control problems in order to achieve the non-negotiable safety standards of the FAA”, specified Mr. Whitaker .
This plan, he added, must incorporate the conclusions of the FAA audit as well as the recommendations of a commission of independent experts whose report was published on February 26.
The latter concluded that Boeing’s safety system presented shortcomings, notably relating to “complex” procedures which sometimes sowed “confusion” among employees. They issued 53 recommendations to remedy their 27 unsatisfactory findings.
