The Federal Aviation Administration found “systemic” problems with design and production processes at seven Boeing Co. aircraft engineering and manufacturing facilities but concluded that passenger safety was not compromised. The FAA conducted the audit from December to February after what it called a “series of high-visibility production breakdowns” at Boeing last fall. It found 107 problems — 87 in production and 20 in engineering. “The findings show that these were not isolated events, that they were in fact systemic issues,” John Hickey of the FAA said at a news conference Monday. However, Hickey said the FAA found no immediate safety issues related to the problems, and the agency took no punitive action. The FAA studied everything from aircraft engineering to parts receiving and the manufacturing process at Boeing plants in Seattle, Everett, Renton, Auburn, Fredrickson and Spokane, Wash., and Portland, Ore. Boeing posted a statement on its Web site prior to the FAA’s news conference in which it said it is taking steps to address the issues in the audit.
