The US aviation regulator FAA has found problems in quality control during investigations into Boeing production following a near miss. The FAA said there were violations of regulations, among other things, in the monitoring of production, the handling of components and product control. The authority is taking a close look at both Boeing and fuselage supplier Spirit Aerosystems.
The review was triggered by the recent dramatic incident involving a virtually new Boeing 737-9 Max in early January. Shortly after take-off, part of the fuselage of the Alaska Airlines plane with more than 170 people on board broke out while climbing. No one was seriously injured in the incident – as it happened, the two seats directly at the opening were empty.
The accident investigation authority NTSB assumes that fastening bolts were missing from the part. Boeing had previously had to stop deliveries of the aircraft type for weeks and carry out months of rework due to Spirit’s production defects.