RENTON, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The results of a weeks-long audit are putting even more pressure on Boeing to up their safety standards.
The New York Times reported that Boeing failed 33 of 89 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audits during an examination following the January door panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet. The six-week audit found dozens of problems in various parts of the 737 Max.
The report said seven of 13 audits that focused on Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the body of the aircraft, also failed. One example cited was the use of liquid Dawn dish soap to lubricate a door seal during a fit-up process. The audits dealing with the door plug – the part that blew off the Alaska Airlines jet – found issues at both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems.
Last week, Boeing came under withering criticism by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy over the missing work records on the Alaska jet. The FAA has barred Boeing from boosting production of Max jets and gave the company 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality-control issues.