Tuesday, October 31, 2000 To discover the cause of 107 problems uncovered by a federal audit, Boeing will analyze it process of constructing airplanes, from design to manufacturing, company officials said.

None of the problems threatened passenger safety, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's audit of seven Boeing facilities in the Pacific Northwest.

"We have stood by our processes and we believe our excellent safety record speaks for itself," said Liz Otis, vice president for quality for Boeing's commercial airplanes group. "But wherever there is room for improvement, we will be looking at it. The safety and quality of our airplanes is an absolute core value for us."

The FAA conducted the audit from December to February after what it called a "series of high-visibility production breakdowns" at Boeing last fall. The audit found 87 problems in production and 20 in engineering.

"The findings show that these were not isolated events, that in fact they were systemic issues," John Hickey of the FAA said at a news conference Monday. "They illustrate that design and production systems are not functioning as intended at the Boeing Company."

However, Hickey said the FAA found no immediate safety shortcomings related to the problems. The agency has not decided whether to fine Boeing but is satisfied by the company's response and cooperation, he said.

"We stand by the integrity of our quality system, and the excellent safety record of our products clearly validates that," Boeing said in a statement posted on the Internet prior to the FAA's announcement. "The improvements that are being implemented will further enhance the quality of our airplanes."

The FAA studied everything from aircraft engineering to parts receiving and the manufacturing process at Boeing plants in Seattle, Everett, Renton, Auburn, Frederickson and Spokane, Wash., and in Portland, Ore.

Among the incidents last fall that prompted the FAA review:

B An airline told Boeing that two of 16 bolts holding the vertical stabilizer onto the tail of a 767 were not sufficiently tightened.

B Assembly line mechanics at Boeing's Everett plant, where 747s, 767s and 777s are built, reported that fuel tank repairs were being made after the tanks had been inspected and that debris such as sealant tubes and rivet guns were occasionally left behind.

B An adhesive was improperly applied to a condensation barrier that keeps moisture from dripping onto cockpit electronics. The drip shields also did not meet flammability standards, prompting Boeing to briefly halt delivery of 50 airplanes while the part was replaced.

The FAA audit found that some Boeing manufacturing processes were not complete or were too complex; that these processes were not always followed; that workers sometimes were given inadequate instructions; and that Boeing conducted inadequate inspections to ensure that product results matched their design.

Boeing will add 70 inspectors at suppliers' facilities by the end of the year and 300 to its production lines and will self-audit its facilities, the FAA said. Boeing also has set up a board to review design changes on every plane. The FAA also will add inspectors at Boeing plants.

Officials in the air travel industry did not seem shocked or overly concerned by the FAA's actions.

David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, a Washington, D.C., airline passenger group, said he is satisfied by the audit and the company's response. "I don't think we feel there are any problems," he said.

The government, mostly through the FAA, must approve an airplane's design, manufacture, inspections, testing and certification, along with its materials and parts and the way they are used.

http://www.foxnews.com/national/103100/boeing.sml

-- Doris (reaper@pacifier.com), November 01, 2000