FAA’s ‘failing system’ of monitoring Boeing blasted by federal watchdog

The Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t done enough to improve its oversight of Boeing to identify and address risks within the aerospace giant, a government watchdog agency said in a scathing report released Friday.

In the report, the Transportation Department’s inspector general outlined weaknesses found in the FAA’s oversight of Boeing 737 and 787 production and issued 16 recommendations to improve that oversight.

The FAA has been under pressure since January, when a misinstalled panel blew off a new 737 MAX jet over Portland, Oregon. The Alaska Airlines jet landed safely, but the incident demonstrated the potential for catastrophic failure.

The FAA hasn’t moved to proactively identify risk or demonstrated how it will resolve allegations of undue pressure within Boeing manufacturing, the inspector general found.

Among the other findings: The FAA doesn’t have an effective system overseeing individual Boeing factories, hasn’t ensured the company has effectively resolved its supplier issues, and hasn’t assessed the effectiveness of Boeing’s safety management system, which focuses on product and workplace safety.

“By improving its oversight model to better address risk, FAA can help to improve a failing system and restore public trust in the safety of Boeing aircraft,” the report said.

In response, the FAA agreed with the recommendations and pointed to its addition of more safety inspectors in Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities. The agency said it plans to fully implement the inspector general’s recommendations between 2025 and 2028.

In a hearing with lawmakers last month, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the FAA’s previous approach with inspections was too hands-off and in “reactive mode” rather than proactive.