Boeing workers felt pressure to prioritize speed over quality: FAA report

Boeing factory workers reported being pressured to prioritize speed of production over the quality of their work, according to findings from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) probe into the company released on Wednesday.

Mike Whitaker, the FAA administrator, will testify about the findings on Wednesday afternoon before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, whose members received a memo on the FAA report.

“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,” the memo said.

The findings spotlight Boeing’s inadequate training for manufacturing personnel and failure to conduct sufficient quality inspections, according to CNN, which obtained the memo.

The agency’s six-week audit of Boeing uncovered a wide array of problems, from improper safety measurements to missing bolts in planes like the Alaska Airlines 737 Max plane that had a door plug fly off in mid-air during a January flight. 

The incident drew a sanction from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued in June.

However, the memo cites whistleblower warnings dating back more than a decade, which raised “questions about Boeing’s ability to timely source and track aircraft parts” and ensure faulty parts were not used in aircraft production.

Whitaker and the FAA maintain that they are now providing “aggressive oversight of the company” ensuring that they fix “systemic production-quality issues” by issuing airworthiness certificates for every newly produced Boeing 737 MAX.

The FAA also shared that it participates in weekly meetings with the company to review their “performance metrics, progress, and any challenges they’re facing in implementing the changes.” 

Boeing officials say they are taking responsibility for their actions and moving forward with transparency.

“Our culture is far from perfect, but we are taking action and making progress,” David Calhoun, the company’s CEO, told the Senate Committee in June. “We understand the gravity, and we are committed to moving forward with transparency and accountability, while elevating employee engagement.”

Since then, Boeing says they’ve “taken important steps to foster a safety culture that empowers and encourages all employees to share their voice, but it will require continuous focus. Under the FAA’s oversight, we are continuing to implement our comprehensive plan to strengthen Boeing’s safety management, quality assurance and safety culture.”

The Hill reached out to the FAA and Senate subcommittee for additional comments.

Updated at 12:38 pm EDT.