Aircraft Makers Face Special FAA Safety Checks

Federal Aviation Administration chief T. Allan McArtor said Monday that he has ordered a special safety inspection of the nation’s aircraft manufacturing industry.

The review, which is to begin next month, will target about 40 of the 1,300 U.S. firms that manufacture airplanes and airplane parts.

McArtor insisted that the effort was not prompted by a particular safety problem or manufacturer. Rather, he said, “there is a need for a fresh look at the civil aircraft manufacturing environment.”

He said the agency is concerned about the use of “bogus” parts in airplanes in recent years and wants to examine the adequacy of manufacturers’ quality control systems. Under federal regulations, all manufacturers and parts must be certified by the FAA.

“I am not questioning the quality or the safety of these products up to this point,” he said, but “we want to make sure that all parts that go into our aircraft are quality parts.”

Oversight Measures

McArtor said the inspections will also help the FAA determine whether its oversight measures are sufficient.

Rapid technological changes in aircraft manufacturing--including the use of increased automation and new materials--may have outpaced FAA procedures, McArtor said. “I want to make sure that our thinking is as modern as the technology with which we deal,” he said.

The safety review is part of a broad campaign called Impact ’88 launched by the FAA last month to improve aviation safety. Already, McArtor, who took over the agency in July, has placed restrictions on general aviation planes at Los Angeles International Airport and instituted checks of airline pilot training.

McArtor said he expects the first manufacturer audits to be completed by the end of November, but that the review would continue through early 1989. The firms that will be screened have not yet been selected.

Aircraft industry spokesmen said they welcome the review.