DOT To Audit FAA Oversight Of Boeing 737 And 787 Production

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced plans to audit of the FAA’s oversight of Boeing 737 and 787 production. According to a memorandum released by the OIG, the audit will focus on the FAA’s process for “identifying and resolving production issues and addressing allegations of undue pressure within the production environment.” The audit is expected to begin in July.

“A number of complaints to Congress, FAA, and our office have alleged ongoing production deficiencies and undue pressure on Boeing staff in the 737 and 787 production lines,” Assistant Inspector General for Aviation Audits Nelda Smith wrote in the memo (PDF). “In light of these concerns, the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Subcommittee on Aviation requested that we evaluate FAA’s oversight of Boeing aircraft production.”

As previously reported by AVweb, the FAA announced last February that its inspectors would be signing off on each new 787 due to a number of quality control problems on the production line. The company halted deliveries of the model in May 2021 and, according to the OIG, has not delivered a 787 in over a year. The OIG says the audit will be conducted at FAA Headquarters, regional offices responsible for overseeing Boeing production and relevant Boeing locations.