Federal safety officials say Boeing fails to meet quality-control standards in manufacturing

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday its audit of manufacturing at airplane-maker Boeing and its key supplier turned up "multiple instances" of them failing to make sure manufacturing met quality standards.

The FAA said that it found "non-compliance issues" with Boeing’s manufacturing-process control and parts handling and storage. It did not provide details.

The FAA said it gave a summary of findings from its six-week audit to Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems, but it did not make the summary public. A spokeswoman said the FAA can’t release details because its investigation of Boeing is continuing.

The agency has stepped up its scrutiny of Boeing since Jan. 5, when a panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 as it flew 16,000 feet above Oregon. Pilots of the Alaska Airlines jet were able to safely land the plane despite the hole in its side.

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Last week, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan for addressing safety concerns raised by the FAA and an independent panel of experts from industry, government and academia.