The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) audit of Boeing’s 737 MAX production process after a panel blew off on an Alaska Airlines jet in January failed 33 of 89 tests, the New York Times on Monday.
In the wide-ranging investigation, Boeing failed a check which dealt with the component that known as a door plug, the report said, citing an FAA presentation viewed by NYT.
Boeing’s shares were down 1.4 percent in premarket trading on Tuesday.
Supplier Spirit AeroSystems (SPR.N), opens new tab, which makes the fuselage for the MAX, passed six of 13 audits and failed the rest, the report added.
Additionally, an audit at Spirit focusing on the door plug component found five problems and it failed the one which dealt with the installation of the component, the report said.
The audit raised concerns about the technicians who carried out the work and found that the company “failed to determine the knowledge necessary for the operation of its processes,” according to the report.
Other audits that Spirit failed included one that involved a cargo door and another that dealt with the installation of cockpit windows, it said.
Based on the FAA audit, Boeing is continuing to implement immediate changes, and is developing a plan to strengthen safety and quality, the plane maker told Reuters in an emailed statement.
The FAA and Spirit AeroSystems did not immediately reply to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Pete Buttigieg U.S. Transportation Secretary had earlier said he expects Boeing to cooperate in investigations by the Justice Department and National Transportation Safety Board into the 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency on Jan. 5.
Meanwhile, the FAA’s Michael Whitaker said the agency and Boeing hope to define the milestones the manufacturer must meet in order to increase the MAX production rate in the next 30 days
