The head of the FAA underlines the necessity for Boeing to implement substantial modifications to enhance quality and safety.
During an upcoming congressional hearing on the FAA's supervision of Boeing, Administrator Michael Whitaker intends to inform legislators that both the regulatory body and Boeing have made strides since the January 5 incident involving a 737 Max operated by Alaska Airlines, where a door latch exploded, according to his prepared remarks. However, he will also acknowledge that more progress is required, and that rigorous oversight will persist in the near future.
Whitaker intends to assert that Boeing requires a transformation in its safety ethos to comprehensively tackle its systemic quality control and manufacturing challenges. His ultimate objective is to ensure that Boeing implements the required modifications and maintains the essential resources to uphold these changes long-term.
Boeing chose to remain silent regarding Whitaker's prepared remarks.
An initial examination revealed that the Alaska Airlines aircraft departed from Boeing's factory without the necessary four screws to secure the door latch. This occurrence triggered numerous federal investigations into Boeing and a series of congressional hearings that cast doubt on the company's aircraft quality and safety standards. A subsequent hearing with Whitaker is scheduled for Wednesday before a Senate committee on the same matter.
Whitaker plans to emphasize that Boeing must undertake "substantial adjustments" to address its "systemic production quality problems." Additionally, his remarks guarantee an enhanced role in Boeing and its main supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, which Boeing is attempting to purchase.
“We have bolstered the number of safety inspectors within the Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities, and we will maintain our raised on-site presence for the foreseeable future,” he will affirm, according to his remarks.
Monday evening, Reuters brought to light new issues at Spirit AeroSystems, where an internal review discovered that around 4% of all records since 2010 are either missing or duplicated for precisely-measured components such as brackets, frames, and beams. Company spokesperson Joe Buccino told CNN that Spirit has yet to recognize any potential safety risks associated with the affected parts, and no aircraft will need to be retrained due to this discovery.
“We have sent notifications to affected clients and continue performing an in-house investigation,” he explained.
The FAA is also undergoing some internal changes, including the amplification of the role of the FAA’s executive committee, which manages its regulatory oversight and safety management programs. Whitaker will inform the committee that he and the agency’s deputy administrator will now be members of that committee.
Whitaker will suggest that Boeing needs to fundamentally change its safety culture to adequately address its persistent quality control and manufacturing issues within its business operations. He aims to ensure that Boeing implements the necessary modifications and maintains these changes sustainably.
In light of these developments, the FAA is strengthening its regulatory oversight by expanding the role of its executive committee, with both Whitaker and the deputy administrator now becoming members of the committee.
