Image: Boeing
In a message to employees Monday morning, Boeing Commercial Aircraft CEO Stan Deal announced a series of steps the plane maker is taking to “strengthen quality assurance and controls at our manufacturing facilities.” and Spirit AeroSystems, supplier of Boeing 737 MAX fuselages.
The full message can be found below:
***This message is addressed to all Aviões Comerciais employees.***
As we continue to respond to the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, our team has been working with the five affected airlines to inspect their fleet of 7379s. You have inspected the intermediate output port plugs and taken measurements to ensure they are installed according to specifications.
As we complete these tasks to obtain Federal Aviation Administration approval to ground the affected 7379s, our team is also taking a close look at our quality practices in our factories and throughout our production system.
We have taken important steps in recent years to strengthen the foundation of our Quality Management System (QMS) and its layers of protection. But the AS1282 accident and recent customer findings make it clear that we are not yet where we need to be. To this end, we are taking immediate measures to strengthen quality assurance and controls in our factories.
Additional quality checks: We plan additional checks throughout the construction process at Boeing and Spirit. These inspections will add another layer of control to the thousands of inspections conducted on every 737 aircraft today and build on the reviews we have conducted to detect potential violations. Since 2019, we have increased the number of commercial aircraft quality inspectors by 20% and plan to further invest in the quality function.
Quality Team Sessions: We are planning additional sessions for our teams to come together and refocus on the fundamentals of our QMS, leverage our expanded training programs, and rededicate ourselves to improving quality and compliance.
Boeing's review of Spirit's work: We deployed a team to work with Spirit AeroSystems and complement existing teammates on the ground. Our team is currently reviewing and approving Spirit's installation of the midexit port plug before the fuselage section can be shipped to Boeing. We also examine more than 50 other points in Spirit's construction process and evaluate the construction plans against technical specifications.
Airline Oversight Inspections: We are opening our factories to 737 operators for additional inspection oversight to review our production and quality practices. Spirit will do the same and we will learn insights and discoveries from our customers.
Independent assessment: An external party is hired to thoroughly review the commercial aircraft quality management system and suggest new improvements.
And as we prepare new 7379s for delivery, we will perform the same thorough inspections of intermediate exit plugs as required by the FAA. Customer representatives continue to have access to everything they want to see on board the aircraft before delivery.
These actions are separate from the FAA's investigation and the agency's plan to increase oversight of 7379 production. We will work fully and transparently with both parties as we work to restore trust with our regulator and our customers. And as the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation progresses, we will take additional steps to improve our practices in light of the facts and findings.
Everything we do must meet the requirements of our QMS. Anything else is unacceptable. Through this standard, we must act to give our customers and their passengers full confidence in Boeing aircraft. Each of us should take personal responsibility and rededicate ourselves to this important work.
Stan.”