Boeing's Commercial Airline AS9100 Delay, FAA Self-Certification, Fatal Crashes, And Conflicts Exposed: By QA Expert Daryl Guberman

NEW YORK - Jan. 12, 2025 - PRLog -- Boeing's failure to secure AS9100 certification in its commercial airlines division for over two decades has raised alarms about the company's internal practices, conflicts of interest, and the safety of the aircraft it has produced. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/boeing-plans-seek-as9100-certification?utm_source=chatgpt.com  QA expert Daryl Guberman, who has spent over 40 years in the field of quality assurance, warns that Boeing's lack of AS9100 certification, coupled with its deep ties to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American National Accreditation Board (ANAB), creates a catastrophic loophole that directly impacts the safety of its aircraft. This negligence and system of self-certification have played a significant role in deadly crashes, including the tragic crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX, which killed over 340 people.

A Dangerous Web of Control

For years, Boeing has played a pivotal role in both influencing and controlling the aerospace certification process. As a member of the ANSI and ANAB management committees, Boeing has the power to grant, suspend, and withdraw certifications, a dangerously unchecked authority that has raised serious concerns. In fact, the page detailing Boeing's role on these committees was mysteriously removed from ANSI's website, a move that Guberman believes was made to protect Boeing from public scrutiny and further questions about its overreaching influence on the certification process.

"Boeing has had complete control over the certification process for decades," Guberman states. "They have sat on the boards that decide who gets certified, including themselves. And now, with the mysterious removal of these records, it's clear that Boeing has manipulated the system to avoid accountability and regulatory oversight."

Certification Gaps and FAA Self-Certification Loopholes

Boeing's delayed AS9100 certification, which it only pursued in 2024, is especially troubling given that the company has demanded the same certification from its suppliers for over 22 years. This glaring hypocrisy raises questions about the integrity of Boeing's operations, particularly when it comes to aircraft safety. Boeing's commercial manufacturing division required AS9100 certification from all suppliers and subcontractors, yet it was never certified to this standard itself.

In 2002, Boeing issued a supplier bulletin outlining that its suppliers must hold AS9100 certification, accredited by ANSI and ANAB. Additionally, Boeing worked closely with the Performance Review Institute (PRI) to formulate the NADCAP "National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation". Program certification for special processes like heat treatment, welding etc. This accreditation was intended to ensure that suppliers adhered to rigorous quality standards. However, despite these demands, Boeing itself remained exempt from certification, leaving the integrity of its own operations and aircraft designs in serious doubt.

"The fact that Boeing has been requiring AS9100 from its suppliers for years while failing to secure it themselves speaks volumes about their internal practices," says Guberman. "How can anyone trust the aircraft Boeing has built during this time, especially when they have been allowed to self-certify their operations under the FAA?"

In 2003, ANSI-ANAB came out with HEADS UP 22 which called for all AS9100 certified are required to sit on the OASIS Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS) The OASIS database is a product of the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). OASIS houses supplier and audit assessment data for all companies who hold an accredited certification. IAQG is also a member on ANSI-ANAB board and the IAF. ANSI-ANAB are founders of the IAF (International Accreditation Forum-incorporated in Delaware) It is an association of national and international accreditation bodied that are equivalent in accreditation to ANSI-ANAB and also IAF sister organization ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation -in Australia). ANSI-ANAB are underwriters for IAF and ILAC. Guberman also highlights a recent effort by ANSI and ANAB to establish a unified global accreditation entity named Global Accreditation Cooperation (GLOBAC) a unification of IAF-ILAC. He argues that this move is intended to dissolve ANSI and ANAB's liability while preserving their control over global accreditation processes.

In 2009, Boeing was designated an FAA regulator, meaning it could self-certify its aircraft, aircraft technologies (such as the MCAS system, and designs without full transparency or oversight. This self-certification process allowed Boeing to avoid notifying the public or regulatory bodies about potentially dangerous changes, such as the implementation of the MCAS system, which was directly implicated in two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX. This lack of transparency and independent oversight has fueled a growing concern that Boeing's internal controls, or lack thereof, have directly contributed to catastrophic failures.

Conflicts of Interest and Regulatory Capture

Further complicating Boeing's questionable certification practices is its deep involvement with federal agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the FAA. These agencies not only sit on the boards of ANSI and ANAB but are also their customers just like Boeing. This creates a dangerous web of conflicts of interest, where the same agencies responsible for oversight are also tied to Boeing's certification and quality assurance processes.

"The relationship between Boeing, the FAA, and federal agencies like the DOJ and DHS is a clear case of regulatory capture," Guberman explains. "Boeing's influence over ANSI and ANAB, coupled with its position as a self-certifying FAA entity, ensures that accountability is minimal, and the public's safety takes a backseat."

In 2024, Guberman stood before the DHS subcommittee to support whistleblower Sam Salephour concerns regarding Boeing's 777 and 787 designs, asserting that Boeing had relinquished on-site audits for 22 years. During this time, Boeing relied on paperwork audit (2 certifications NADCAP & AS9100 if its ANSI-ANAB accredited, for its suppliers, further highlighting the company's failure to meet basic quality standards. Guberman stated that Boeing's "need arises" or "need be" approach to auditing – where the company would only visit suppliers in cases of urgent need – is a clear indication of how Boeing skirted meaningful oversight.

"At the core of this issue is the fact that Boeing has repeatedly skirted real oversight and used its position to avoid accountability," Guberman adds. "This is not just a corporate failure; it's a matter of life and death."

The MCAS Scandal and the Need for Immediate Reform

The tragic consequences of Boeing's self-certification became horrifyingly clear with the MCAS system, which contributed to the crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610, resulting in the loss of over 340 lives. Boeing's failure to adequately inform the FAA or the public about the MCAS system's design flaws underscores the dangers of a company having unchecked authority over its own certification process.

"Boeing was allowed to operate with complete autonomy, and the results were deadly," Guberman states. "We cannot continue to allow Boeing, the FAA, and federal agencies to operate under these conflicts of interest. The system is broken, and it's only a matter of time before more lives are lost unless Congress steps in."

MCAS system Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, is a flight control system on the Boeing 737 MAX that helps improve handling and reduce the tendency for the plane to pitch up at high angles of attack:

How it works: MCAS automatically pushes the nose of the plane down when it detects a problem with the angle of attack. The angle of attack is the difference between the pitch of the plane and the angle of the wind

A Call for Accountability and Reform

The revelations about Boeing's Commercial divisions lack of AS9100 certification, its control over the certification process, and its self-certification authority highlight the need for immediate reforms. Guberman urges Congress to investigate these deep-rooted conflicts of interest and ensure that Boeing, along with other aerospace companies, is held to rigorous and independent quality standards.

"Boeing's practices have put public safety at risk for far too long," Guberman concludes. "It's time for real oversight and accountability. Until Boeing is held to truly independent standards, the public can never trust the aircraft they are flying in."

Reform is urgent, as the cost of inaction is too high. Boeing's recent pursuit of AS9100 certification may not restore trust, as its role on ANSI-ANAB's board, coupled with its 2002 supplier requirement for ANSI-ANAB accredited AS9100 certification, renders the credential ineffective rather than meaningful. The close ties also with the FAA,DHS & DOJ sitting on ANSI-ANAB boards should not add comfort to the passengers on Boeing aircraft! Guberman said.

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