Boeing factory workers Reported A Federal Aviation Administration investigation into the company, released on Wednesday, found that employees were pressured to prioritize production speed over quality of work.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker is scheduled to testify about the findings Wednesday afternoon before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which received a memo on the FAA report.
“Given the severity and history of Boeing's safety deficiencies, the company's lack of candor with the FAA, and the Agency's passive regulatory stance, the newly disclosed information calls into question the effectiveness of the FAA's oversight of the company,” the memo said.
The investigation's findings highlighted Boeing's inadequate training of its manufacturing workers and its failure to conduct sufficient quality inspections. CNNGot the memo.
The regulator's six-week audit of Boeing uncovered problems ranging from inadequate safety procedures to missing bolts on planes like an Alaska Airlines 737 Max plane whose door plug flew off in the air during a flight in January.
The incident led to sanctions being imposed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in June.
But the memo cited whistleblower warnings going back more than a decade that raised questions about “Boeing's ability to source and track aircraft parts in a timely manner” and ensure that defective parts were not used in building planes.
Whitaker and Federal Aviation Administration The airline claims it is now “actively monitoring” the issue of airworthiness certificates for each new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to ensure that “systematic manufacturing quality issues” are addressed.
The FAA also said it was participating in weekly meetings with the company to review “performance metrics, progress and challenges facing the company in implementing changes.”
Boeing officials say they take responsibility for their actions and will move forward transparently.
“Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress,” said CEO David Calhoun. said “We understand the seriousness and are committed to increasing employee engagement while maintaining transparency and accountability,” the Senate committee reported in June.
Since then, Boeing said it has taken “significant steps to foster a safety culture that empowers and encourages all employees to speak up, but continued focus is required. Under the FAA's oversight, we will continue to implement comprehensive plans to strengthen Boeing's safety management, quality assurance and safety culture.”
The Hill reached out to the FAA and the Senate subcommittee for further comment.
Updated at 12:38 PM EDT.
