FAA Finds Fault With Production Process at Boeing

The Federal Aviation Administration found “systemic” problems with the design and production process at seven Boeing Co. aircraft engineering and manufacturing facilities but concluded that passenger safety was not compromised.

The FAA conducted the audit from December to February after what it called a “series of high-visibility production breakdowns” at Boeing last fall. The audit found 107 problems--87 in production and 20 in engineering.

“The findings show that these were not isolated events, that in fact they were systemic issues,” John Hickey of the FAA said at a news conference Monday. “They illustrate that design and production systems are not functioning as intended at the Boeing Company.”

However, Hickey said the FAA found no immediate safety shortcomings related to the problems. The agency has not decided whether to fine Boeing, he said.

The FAA studied everything from aircraft engineering to parts receiving and the manufacturing process at Boeing plants in Seattle, Everett, Renton, Auburn, Fredrickson and Spokane, Wash., and in Portland, Ore.

Boeing agreed with the audit findings, said Liz Otis, vice president for quality in the company’s commercial airplanes group.

“We have stood by our processes, and we believe our excellent safety record speaks for itself,” Otis said. “But wherever there is room for improvement, we will be looking at it.”

Among the incidents last fall that prompted the FAA review:

* An airline told Boeing that two of 16 bolts holding the vertical stabilizer onto the tail of a 767 were not sufficiently tightened.

* Mechanics at Boeing’s Everett plant reported that fuel tank repairs were being made after the tanks had been inspected and that debris such as sealant tubes and rivet guns were occasionally left behind.

* An adhesive was improperly applied to a condensation barrier that keeps moisture from dripping onto cockpit electronics. The drip shields also did not meet flammability standards, prompting Boeing to briefly halt delivery of 50 airplanes while the part was replaced.

The FAA audit found that some Boeing manufacturing processes were not complete or were overly complex; that these processes were not always followed; that workers sometimes were given inadequate instructions; and that Boeing conducted inadequate inspections.

For example, Hickey said engineers who made design changes did not always document their actions, which makes replicating the steps by other engineers more difficult.

FAA officials said Boeing has worked with them to address the findings and to tighten internal and external controls to ensure products perform to expectations.

Boeing will add 70 inspectors at suppliers’ facilities by year’s end and 300 on Boeing’s own production lines and will perform self-audits, the FAA said. Boeing also has set up a board to review design changes.

Boeing stock closed at $64.69, up 94 cents on the New York Stock Exchange.