A panel of experts on Monday criticized Boeing's safety culture, raising the heat on the aircraft manufacturer following a January 5 incident in which a portion of 737 Max 9 plane made by the company blew off mid-flight.

In a new report, the Federal Aviation Administration said a panel of government and aviation industry experts had "found a lack of awareness of safety-related metrics at all levels" of Boeing, adding that "employees had difficulty distinguishing the differences among various measuring methods, their purpose and outcomes."

More broadly, the agency also pointed to a "disconnect" between Boeing's senior management and workers, with employees charged with checking the company's planes expressing concern about potential retaliation if they raised issues.

Boeing's safety "procedures and training are complex and in a constant state of change, creating employee confusion especially among different work sites and employee groups," according to the panel's report to the FAA.

Congress ordered the study in 2020, when it passed legislation to reform how the agency certifies new planes after two deadly crashes involving Boeing 737 Max jetliners.