The FAA said today it has reached a settlement with Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) regarding 13 complaints that the company had failed to meet various compliance standards. Under the agreement, BCA must pay the government $12 million and also must implement changes to several certification processes, “to further enhance the airworthiness and continued compliance of all BCA products,” the FAA said. “It is imperative that everyone complies with our aviation system’s high safety standards,” added U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The FAA investigation was prompted by the amount of time it took for BCA to provide information about the installation of equipment that would reduce the likelihood of a fuel-tank fire in 747 and 757 airplanes, according to USA Today. FAA regulators also cited “the company’s insufficient corrective action after discovering that a supplier had been providing incorrectly shaped fasteners.”
Boeing said in a statement today it believes the agreement “fairly resolves announced and potential civil penalty actions – most of which date back years, and two of which were previously announced in 2012 and 2013 – [and] also will further enhance Boeing’s self-correcting quality and compliance systems.” Many of the improvements listed in the agreement have already been implemented or are in the process of implementation, Boeing said. If Boeing fails to meet its commitments, it could be subject to more penalties and up to $24 million in additional fines, the FAA said.
