Unfinished fuselages for the Boeing 737 during production at the Spirit AeroSystems factory in Wichita, Kan. Courtesy of Spirit AeroSystems hide caption
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The fuselage of a Boeing 737 at the Spirit AeroSystems factory in Wichita, Kan. Joel Rose/NPR hide caption
As Boeing looks to buy a key 737 supplier, a whistleblower says the problems run deep
The Spirit AeroSystems logo is pictured on an unpainted 737 fuselage as Boeing's 737 factory teams hold the first day of a "Quality Stand Down" for the 737 program at Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington on Jan. 25. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Boeing workers at the Renton Municipal Airport in Washington finalize assembly of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max jet on Feb. 27. An FAA audit faulted Boeing for "multiple instances" of quality control shortcomings. Jovelle Tamayo for NPR hide caption
Boeing announced a management shakeup - including the ouster of the leader of the 737 Max production line. At the Singapore Airshow, miniature models of Boeing aircraft including the 737 Max (front) are displayed on February 21, 2024. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Why problems at a key Boeing supplier may help explain the company's 737 Max 9 mess
Audio will be available later today.
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded 171 of the 737 Max 9 planes in the United States, as it conducts an audit of the Boeing's production line. FAA officials have said the regulator is considering adding an independent third-party inspector to oversee Boeing inspections and quality. NTSB via AP hide caption