The F.A.A. additionally carried out 13 product audits for the a part of the inquiry that centered on Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the fuselage, or physique, of the 737 Max. Six of these audits resulted in passing grades, and 7 resulted in failing ones, the presentation stated.
At one level through the examination, the air-safety company noticed mechanics at Spirit utilizing a resort key card to test a door seal, in response to a doc that describes a number of the findings. That motion was “not recognized/documented/called-out within the manufacturing order,” the doc stated.
In one other occasion, the F.A.A. noticed Spirit mechanics apply liquid Daybreak cleaning soap to a door seal “as lubricant within the fit-up course of,” in response to the doc. The door seal was then cleaned with a moist cheesecloth, the doc stated, noting that directions have been “obscure and unclear on what specs/actions are to be adopted or recorded by the mechanic.”
Requested concerning the appropriateness of utilizing a resort key card or Daybreak cleaning soap in these conditions, a spokesman for Spirit, Joe Buccino, stated the corporate was “reviewing all recognized nonconformities for corrective motion.”
Boeing didn’t instantly touch upon the outcomes of the audit. In late February, the F.A.A. gave the corporate 90 days to develop a plan for quality-control enhancements. In response, its chief govt, Dave Calhoun, stated that “we’ve got a transparent image of what must be finished,” citing partially the audit findings.