FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker informed top Boeing officials that the manufacturer must develop a “comprehensive action plan” to address quality deficiencies.
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FAA administrator Mike Whitaker has given Boeing's senior leaders 90 days to develop a “comprehensive action plan” to address its systemic quality-control deficiencies at the aircraft manufacturer. Whitaker made the remarks on Tuesday during an all-day safety discussion at FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. to meet the agency's non-negotiable safety standards. The meetings addressed safety lapses before the January 5 incident in which a door plug “blew out” from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in mid-flight.
“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” Whitaker said following a meeting with Boeing CEO and president Dave Calhoun and his senior safety team. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations.”
Whitaker told Boeing that he expects the company to provide the FAA a “comprehensive action plan” within 90 days that would incorporate the results of the agency’s production-line audit and the latest findings from the expert review panel report, as required by the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act of 2020.
The plan must also include steps Boeing would take to “mature” its safety management system (SMS) program, to which it committed in 2019. Boeing also must integrate its safety management system program with a quality management system, which would ensure the same level of rigor and oversight gets applied to the company’s suppliers.
“Boeing must take a fresh look at every aspect of their quality-control process and ensure that safety is the company’s guiding principle,” concluded Whitaker.
Earlier this week, an FAA-led panel of experts published a report highlighting what it characterized as deficiencies in Boeing's safety culture.
FAA Calls for ‘Action Plan’ on Boeing’s Quality Control
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FAA administrator Mike Whitaker has given Boeing's senior leaders 90 days to develop a “comprehensive action plan” to address its systemic quality-control deficiencies at the aircraft manufacturer. Whitaker made the remarks on Tuesday during an all-day safety discussion at FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. to meet the agency's non-negotiable safety standards. The meetings addressed safety lapses before the January 5 incident in which a door plug “blew out” from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 in mid-flight.
“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” Whitaker said following a meeting with Boeing CEO and president Dave Calhoun and his senior safety team. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations.”
Whitaker told Boeing that he expects the company to provide the FAA a “comprehensive action plan” within 90 days that would incorporate the results of the agency’s production-line audit and the latest findings from the expert review panel report, as required by the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act of 2020. The plan must also include steps Boeing would take to “mature” its safety management system (SMS) program, to which it committed in 2019.
Earlier this week, an FAA-led panel of experts published a report highlighting what it characterized as deficiencies in Boeing's safety culture.