Boeing manufacturing workers were pressured to prioritize speed in their work over ensuring proper quality, according to a new Federal Aviation Administration report released Wednesday.
The report comes as the company has been consistently under public pressure concerning its aircraft safety. Boeing Starliner, its spacecraft, recently had to return to Earth without a crew due to mechanical concerns.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker testified about the findings Wednesday before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
The “findings reveal the extent of troubling production problems, including Boeing’s struggle to adequately train and equip manufacturing personnel, thoroughly document and control nonconforming parts, and conduct adequate quality inspections,” the report said.
“Given the depth and history of Boeing’s safety deficiencies, its lack of candor with the FAA, and the agency’s reactive regulatory posture, the newly released information raises questions about the effectiveness of the FAA’s oversight of the company,” it added.
The FAA, which released the report as a memo to the Senate subcommittee, has defended its oversight of Boeing.
“The FAA will continue our aggressive oversight to hold Boeing accountable and ensure the company fixes its systemic production-quality issues,” the FAA said. “Administrator Mike Whitaker has made it clear ‘this won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing.’”
The company was put in the public spotlight after a January incident in which a door plug flew off a 737 MAX airplane after takeoff. No injuries were reported, but the occurrence prompted several investigations into the company as consumers wondered if Boeing planes were safe.
“Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress,” David Calhoun, the company’s former CEO, told the committee in June. “We understand the gravity, and we are committed to moving forward with transparency and accountability while elevating employee engagement.”
Calhoun stepped down last month.
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Whitaker believes Boeing is making progress regarding safety improvements, but there is still a long way to go.
“I think the safety culture change is going to be a long-term project,” Whitaker said. “I think it’s going to take years of delivering that safety message and the employees actually seeing that safety is more important than production for that culture to change.”