Boeing hit with $1.25 million proposed fine over designees

U.S. regulators are seeking fines against Boeing Co. of $1.25 million, saying that company employees acting on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration faced “undue pressure” as they considered whether to approve aircraft designs.

The alleged violations occurred starting in 2017 at the company’s 787 Dreamliner plant in South Carolina, the FAA said Wednesday. The accusations focus on a program known as Organization Designation Authorization, which deputized Boeing workers to act for regulators. The arrangement drew heavy criticism after two crashes of another jet, the 737 Max, killed 346 people.

The proposed penalty, which Boeing has the right to challenge, is the latest blow for the U.S. planemaker, which is still reeling from the accidents. Boeing is facing a federal criminal probe related to the Max, as well as a civil investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The FAA has also come under scrutiny for its role in approving the Max, which has been grounded since 2019, and failing to notice potential safety hazards.

“The FAA’s proposed civil penalties announced today are a clear and strong reminder of our obligations as an ODA holder,” Boeing said in an emailed statement. “Undue pressure of any type is inconsistent with our values and will not be tolerated.”

Boeing said the allegations were reported and disclosed to the FAA, adding that the company has taken “corrective action.” The Chicago-based company said it was cooperating with the agency’s investigation.

In one set of accusations involving the South Carolina factory, the FAA said employees who weren’t approved acted in manager positions and the company didn’t ensure that the ODA represented the agency’s interests. Boeing managers who weren’t a part of the ODA also “exerted undue pressure or interfered with ODA unit members,” the FAA alleged.

Those violations occurred between November 2017 and July 2019, the agency said. A separate penalty was proposed for a case of “undue pressure” on Feb. 26 of this year while ODA members attempted to inspect a 787-9, according to the FAA.

Members of Boeing’s ODA signed off on the flawed design of the Max that has been linked to the two crashes. FAA engineers had originally reviewed a flight-control system known as MCAS, but delegated responsibility for final approvals to the company. During the interim, MCAS was made more powerful, but the changes weren’t detailed to the government, a Transportation Department Inspector General report last month concluded.

House and Senate lawmakers are working on legislation that would require greater government oversight of the ODA system.

The FAA action could subject Boeing to even greater penalties. The company in 2015 paid $12 million to resolve 13 enforcement cases. It could be assessed an additional $24 million if the FAA finds the violations continued.

Separately, the company has acknowledged selling Max jets without a working cockpit alert that was part of the plane’s design certification.