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.
