By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate panel investigating Boeing Co’s safety culture on Wednesday criticized the planemaker’s quality practices and Federal Aviation Administration oversight, citing documents obtained in an ongoing probe.
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is holding a hearing Wednesday with FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, said Boeing workers still feel pressure to prioritize production speed over quality.
Boeing struggles to ensure employees are adequately trained, fails to ensure that improper parts are not installed, and FAA quality inspection and review procedures raise questions about the qualifications and independence of the individuals conducting the inspections, the committee’s Democratic staff said in a memo.
At some facilities, Boeing employees are allowed to inspect their work themselves.
“Given the depth and history of Boeing’s safety deficiencies, its lack of candor with the FAA, and the agency’s reactive regulatory stance, the newly released information raises questions about the effectiveness of the FAA’s oversight of the company,” the committee said.
Boeing said it has “taken important steps to foster a safety culture that empowers and encourages all employees to share their voices, but this will require continued focus.”
The FAA did not comment, but Whitaker said at a House hearing Tuesday that Boeing needs to make significant improvements to its safety culture that may not be complete for years.
The committee revealed details of an audit conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration after a door seal on a new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 exploded at 16,000 feet in January.
The Department of Justice and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
The FAA’s 116-page letter details 97 allegations of noncompliance by Boeing, including “issues related to Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control.” The audit found 23 instances where “employees failed to follow processes or lacked competence,” the memo said.
Whitaker has blocked Boeing from expanding production of the Max until it makes significant quality improvements.
The committee said an internal Boeing survey in May showed many machinists felt pressure to prioritize speed over quality while producing aircraft, and added that the Federal Aviation Administration identified quality inspection deficiencies at Boeing in 2017.
Whitaker’s written testimony at the Senate hearing says the FAA “will promptly provide real-time notification of any potentially criminal activity so that the Department of Justice can take any action it deems appropriate.”
Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge in July after breaching a 2021 agreement with the Justice Department.