The Federal Aviation Administration has issued the Boeing company a civil penalty fine totalling $3,139million, reporting ‘hundreds of quality system violations’. The safety violations citied by the FAA occurred between September 2023 to February 2024.
Quality system violations noted by the FAA
The FAA report makes note of the identification of ‘hundreds of quality system violations’ at Boeing factories in Renton, Washington, including violations at Boeing’s subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems 737 factory in Wichita, Kansas.
The penalty is the result of an investigation that found Boeing failed to ensure its manufacturing processes met FAA quality standards. Including an incident where the FAA found that an Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) Boeing employee was pressured to sign off on an aircraft which did not meet the safety standards needed for the aircraft to take flight.
Violations led to Alaskan Airlines incident 5 January 2024
The system violations came to a head when the door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 flew out mid-air, causing the FBI to be involved in the investigation.
Alaskan Airlines Flight 1282 was headed from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, with a reported 177 passengers on board. Subsequently, a criminal investigation was launched. Passengers onboard Alaskan Airlines flight 1282 received letters from the FBI, calling those on board amidst the incident, victims.
The Alaskan Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Portland shortly after the door plug detached mid-air causing instant decompression inside the plane. Passengers who were sat close to the door report lacerations and injuries to their legs, with images of the aircraft showing oxygen masks dropped and ready to use.
Findings discovered un-airworthy aircrafts presented
The FAA reports Boeing had presented two aircrafts which were deemed un-airworthy for the airworthiness certificate, which is needed for the aircraft to take flight.
Aircrafts may be deemed un-airworthy by the FAA due to: fuel test flow report, inside inspections, level of assembly and the following of the fabrication and assembly checklist. There are numerous other reasons why an aircraft may be rejected for the airworthiness certificate. These findings were found as part of an investigation into quality system violations at Boeing factories in Washington, and their subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas. The Boeing company now has 30 days to respond to the penalty letters.
The FAA reports the total fine of $3,139,319m is the maximum statutory civil penalty consistent with the law.
What are your thoughts on the FAA issuing Boeing the maximum fine for the violations? Let us know in the comments below
