‘Not where we need to be’: Boeing to make changes in quality control
Boeing said Monday that it would make changes to quality control processes after one of its 737 Max 9 jets lost a portion of its body during a nearly catastrophic Alaska Airlines flight this month. The aircraft manufacturer said it would add additional inspections at its own factory and at that of an important supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, which installs the plug for unused exit doors, one of which blew out of the Max 9 midflight. Both companies will also open their factories to more scrutiny by the airlines that fly the 737 by inviting them to conduct more inspections of the manufacturing process, starting with those that fly the Max 9. And Boeing will bring in an outside party to review its quality control program and suggest improvements. Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Jan. 5 was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Ore., after a door plug blew off, without any serious injuries to people on board. The FAA grounded all Max 9 planes and said it would expand its scrutiny of Boeing. Inspections of the planes led Boeing to conclude that its manufacturing practices needed improvement. “The AS1282 accident and recent customer findings make clear that we are not where we need to be,” Stan Deal, the CE of Boeing’s commercial plane unit, said in a memo to employees on Monday. “To that end, we are taking immediate actions to bolster quality assurance and controls across our factories.” The inspections so far have included examining and measuring the door plug to make sure that it is installed to specifications. United Airlines, the largest operator of Max 9 planes, said it had found some loose bolts during early inspections last week, and Alaska Airlines, the second-largest Max 9 operator, also said it had found loose hardware in the area of the door plug.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-01-16/general/2018not-where-we-need-to-be2019-boeing-to-make-changes-in-quality-control
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‘Not where we need to be’: Boeing to make changes in quality control
Boeing said Monday that it would make changes to quality control processes after one of its 737 Max 9 jets lost a portion of its body during a nearly catastrophic Alaska Airlines flight this month. The aircraft manufacturer said it would add additional inspections at its own factory and at that of an important supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, which installs the plug for unused exit doors, one of which blew out of the Max 9 midflight. Both companies will also open their factories to more scrutiny by the airlines that fly the 737 by inviting them to conduct more inspections of the manufacturing process, starting with those that fly the Max 9. And Boeing will bring in an outside party to review its quality control program and suggest improvements. Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Jan. 5 was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Ore., after a door plug blew off, without any serious injuries to people on board. The FAA grounded all Max 9 planes and said it would expand its scrutiny of Boeing. Inspections of the planes led Boeing to conclude that its manufacturing practices needed improvement. “The AS1282 accident and recent customer findings make clear that we are not where we need to be,” Stan Deal, the CE of Boeing’s commercial plane unit, said in a memo to employees on Monday. “To that end, we are taking immediate actions to bolster quality assurance and controls across our factories.” The inspections so far have included examining and measuring the door plug to make sure that it is installed to specifications. United Airlines, the largest operator of Max 9 planes, said it had found some loose bolts during early inspections last week, and Alaska Airlines, the second-largest Max 9 operator, also said it had found loose hardware in the area of the door plug.<br/>
