US Federal Aviation Agency opens safety investigation into Boeing

Photo: Jennifer Buchanan/Pool via Agence France-Presse Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are being assembled at Boeing’s Renton plant near Seattle in the northwest United States.

Associated Press in Washington

Published yesterday at 4:18 p.m.

• United States

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday that it is opening a three-month investigation into Boeing's compliance with safety regulations, continuing its increased scrutiny of the company since a door blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner in January.

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The investigation will examine key areas of Boeing’s safety processes to ensure they “produce timely and accurate safety information for FAA use.”

An FAA spokesman said the investigation was not prompted by any specific event or concern, but rather is part of the agency’s oversight of safety culture at the massive aircraft manufacturer.

Boeing did not immediately comment on the news.

Not Watched Closely Enough So Far

FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has ordered special audits of Boeing and other measures to examine safety culture safety at Boeing since a “door stopper” exploded on a 737 Max during the Alaska Airlines flight.

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However, the inspector general for the Transportation Department, which oversees the FAA, said last week that weaknesses in the FAA’s oversight were limiting its ability to find and fix problems at Boeing.

The inspector general said the FAA failed to ensure that Boeing and its suppliers make parts that meet engineering and design requirements, and failed to investigate allegations that Boeing put undue pressure on employees authorized to perform safety inspections. The FAA closed only 14 of 34 reports of undue pressure, with the others having been open for more than a year on average, according to the inspector general.

Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board issued an “urgent” recommendation to the FAA about a problem that emerged in February with the rudders that pilots use to steer some Boeing 737s after landing. Two weeks later, the FAA issued a safety alert to airlines about the issue.