US lawmakers ask if FAA found persistent Boeing quality control lapses - letter

A group of US lawmakers want the Federal Aviation Administration to answer key questions about its oversight of Boeing in the wake of a 737 MAX 9 mid-air emergency, including whether it found serious quality issues at the planemaker. In the letter sent on Wednesday, the legislators also asked whether the FAA was contemplating changes to the way it oversaw the manufacturing processes of Boeing and its suppliers. Reuters was the first to reveal the letter. The FAA, acting after a mid-air cabin panel blowout on a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 says it will audit all elements of production at Boeing and fuselage production at Spirit AeroSystems. In the letter, the legislators asked FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to answer whether - before or after the accident - the agency found "any evidence of persistent quality control lapses in any of Boeing's production lines". It was signed by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Sam Graves and Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the committee, along with Representative Garret Graves, the chair of the aviation subcommittee and Democrat Steve Cohen. Whitaker is set to testify Tuesday before the aviation subcommittee. An FAA spokesperson said the agency would respond to the letter. "Is the FAA considering any changes to its broader on-site surveillance of Boeing's and its suppliers' manufacturing processes to help ensure its products conform to their type design?" the letter said.<br/>