SEATTLE — A report into the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) oversight of Boeing found several "weaknesses" in the agency's process which have resulted in a failure to address consistent manufacturing and production problems at the company.
The FAA has been under scrutiny since the January 2024 door plug blowout aboard a 737 Max 9 jet. A Boeing plane which had been delivered to Alaska Airlines two months prior lost a panel while at 16,000 feet.
The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary investigation revealed that bolts that were supposed to be securing the door plug to the jet were left off the fuselage at the company's Renton factory following maintenance work in October 2023.
The FAA is charged with ensuring that Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers comply with federal safety requirements in production and manufacturing. However, the company has "experienced multiple manufacturing issues" with the 737 and 787 aircraft production lines since 2018.
A report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the FAA isn't able to fully identify and resolve issues with Boeing's production process due to "weaknesses" in its oversight.
The report cited that although the FAA is completing more than the required number of audits, the agency is not being comprehensive enough to identify "discrepancies and noncompliances" on the production line. According to the OIG, Boeing keeps data that the FAA could use to more specifically tailor its audits, but the agency does not utilize it. The report found that the FAA is also not performing audits outside of first-shift work on Monday through Friday, leaving processes that take place when fewer workers are on the line unreviewed.
The report found that the FAA is also unable to assure that Boeing's suppliers are producing parts that comply with approved designs. The company has pointed fingers at its suppliers when answering for several manufacturing issues on the 737 and 787 aircraft. Boeing relies on thousands of suppliers for aircraft parts.
The FAA is similarly charged with being unable to track or resolve repetitive issues in Boeing's manufacturing process or adequately address allegations that employees are subject to "undue pressure" to complete jets despite reported concerns or inadequate inspection time. Fifteen of 34 allegations of undue pressure at Boeing factories have been unresolved for more than a year. Two of those cases have been unresolved for more than two years.
The OIG submitted this report and 16 recommendations to the FAA in August. The FAA concurred with all 16 recommendations and proposed actions to remedy the issues identified in the report along with completion dates. The OIG said it considers all 16 recommendations resolved pending completion of the planned actions.
