FAA Said to Find Quality Problems at Boeing

The Federal Aviation Administration found widespread quality and design problems during a special audit of Boeing Co., according to a draft report detailed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The report cited 107 specific problems ranging from parts not meeting specifications to poor worker instruction to inadequate inspections, the newspaper reported. The FAA, which began the special technical audit in December after a string of manufacturing gaffes at Boeing’s jetliner factories, wrote an unprecedented five letters of investigation requiring corrective action, the Seattle newspaper said. Neither the Seattle-based aerospace giant nor the FAA would comment on the report’s details, but a Boeing spokeswoman said the company has already taken steps to correct the problems. A Boeing source reportedly told the paper that the company plans to set up “conformity” teams of engineers and mechanics for each of Boeing’s five jetliner programs in the Seattle area. An FAA spokesman said the agency would not comment until its review of Boeing’s plans is complete, which should take about a month. Boeing shares closed up 75 cents at $49.63 on the New York Stock Exchange.