The damning report was revealed by the New York Times on Tuesday, March 12: Out of 89 audits carried out to test its industrial procedures, Boeing failed 33 times. This is the result of investigations carried out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in the wake of the very serious Alaska Airlines incident, which saw the door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 blow off during a flight on January 5.

In a press release issued at the beginning of March, the FAA already suggested that the results were disastrous for the aircraft manufacturer and its fuselage supplier, Spirit AeroSystems: The six-week audit of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems "found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. The FAA identified non-compliance issues in Boeing's manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control." The FAA has given Boeing 90 days to submit its action plan, states the regulatory body, which demands a "comprehensive corrective action plan to fix systemic quality-control issues" and an improvement in "Boeing's safety culture."

The New York Times reported that the FAA has also conducted 13 audits at Spirit AeroSystems, 7 of which resulted in failure. It gives the example of workers using a hotel room key card to test a door seal. FAA experts also witnessed workers using liquid soap as a lubricant to install a door seal. This was then cleaned with a damp lint-free cloth, the document states, noting that instructions were "vague and unclear on what specifications/actions are to be followed or recorded by the mechanic."

A Spirit spokesman told the American newspaper that the company was "reviewing all identified nonconformities for corrective action," while Boeing said it was continuing "to implement immediate changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to strengthen safety and quality, and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers."

The case has also become potentially criminal, with an investigation by the Federal Justice Department, which has already interviewed the pilots and flight crew of the Alaska Airlines flight. "In an event like this, it's normal for the DOJ [Department of Justice] to be conducting an investigation," said the company. "We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation."

In addition to Boeing's criminal liability in this specific accident, the issue at stake is also whether the aircraft manufacturer honored its commitments after the 737 Max disasters of 2018 and 2019. The FBI and the Department of Transportation conducted an investigation that revealed breaches and cover-ups. The case resulted in a $2.5 billion penalty in 2021 for Boeing and probation, while a former pilot had been prosecuted, before being acquitted in 2022 by a jury at his trial. As the Wall Street Journal reported, "If the Justice Department finds that Boeing violated the terms of the 2021 settlement, the company could face prosecution on the original count of defrauding the US. Alternatively, the government could seek to extend the probationary, three-year agreement that requires Boeing to update the Justice Department on its compliance improvements."

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