Federal safety officials say Boeing fails to meet quality-control standards in manufacturing
Federal regulators say they have found multiple instances in which Boeing and its key supplier lack adequate measures to control for quality in the manufacturing of jetliners
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday its audit of manufacturing at airplane-maker Boeing and its key supplier turned up “multiple instances” of them failing to make sure manufacturing met quality standards.
The FAA said that it found “non-compliance issues” with Boeing's manufacturing-process control and parts handling and storage. It did not provide details.
The FAA said it gave a summary of findings from its six-week audit to Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems, but it did not make the summary public. A spokeswoman said the FAA can't release details because its investigation of Boeing is continuing.
The agency has stepped up its scrutiny of Boeing since Jan. 5, when a panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 as it flew 16,000 feet above Oregon. Pilots of the Alaska Airlines jet were able to safely land the plane despite the hole in its side.
Last week, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan for addressing safety concerns raised by the FAA and an independent panel of experts from industry, government and academia.