Boeing stock closed down over 4% today following a series of troubling incidents involving the quality of Boeing airliners. A recent incident on a Chilean Boeing 787 resulted in a nosedive that injured 50 passengers after a technical event caused a strong movement on board. The pilot admitted to losing control of the plane due to gauge malfunctions.
Boeing is cooperating with investigations into the incident, which is the latest in a string of issues for the company. Previous incidents include a door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight, a wheel falling off a United flight, and hydraulic fluid leakage on another United flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed a review of Boeing's 737 production line, revealing that Boeing failed 33 of 89 quality control audits. The FAA scrutiny comes after the National Transportation Safety Board criticized Boeing for failing to provide records detailing the omission of key bolts from an Alaska Airlines plane.
Boeing has responded to the FAA's findings by issuing a memo instructing workers to meticulously follow every step in the airplane building process. The repercussions of Boeing's challenges are impacting airlines like Southwest and United, both of which are hiring fewer pilots due to delayed plane deliveries from Boeing.
Southwest CEO has urged Boeing to address the issues promptly. The aviation industry is closely monitoring Boeing's response to the FAA audit and the company's efforts to enhance quality control measures in airplane production.
