The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the suspension of the Boeing 737 MAX production expansion after a six-week audit of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, Travel Pulse reports.
According to the FAA, multiple cases were found in which companies failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. This was discovered after an incident on January 5 when a door panel fell off during an Alaska Airlines flight.
“The FAA has identified compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing controls, parts handling and storage, and product controls. The FAA is providing this information to the public as an update to the agency’s ongoing investigation,” the agency said.
Boeing has 90 days to develop a corrective action plan.
“To hold Boeing accountable for manufacturing quality issues, the FAA has suspended Boeing’s 737 MAX production expansion, is considering using a third party to conduct independent reviews of quality systems, and will continue to increase its presence at Boeing’s Renton, Washington, and Spirit AeroSystems facilities in Wichita, Kansas,” the statement said.
Last week, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker met with Boeing’s CEO and other senior leaders, telling them they must address the problems identified in the audit as part of their plan to correct systemic deficiencies. The company must also address problems identified in a report by a panel that examined Boeing’s safety culture.
The FAA said it will carefully review all of Boeing’s corrective actions to determine whether they fully address the identified problems.