Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 19
US air safety authorities are investigating whether embattled aviation giant Boeing completed required inspections on its 787 aircraft and whether employees falsified records, officials said Monday.
The issue centers on whether Boeing undertook required inspections to “confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email.
The FAA said it opened the investigation after Boeing notified it that the company may not have completed required inspections, which are needed to ensure a safe and functional electrical flow between aircraft components.
“The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” the agency said. “At the same time, Boeing is reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet.”
The FAA has given the company three months to present a plan to address “systemic quality-control issues.”
Boeing’s management of the 787 came under question at an April 17 Senate hearing at which a company whistleblower testified that he was retaliated against after raising questions about manufacturing processes on the 787 that he believed threaten aircraft safety.
Safety experts have said the problems at Boeing suggest significant safety culture defects that will not be turned around quickly.
Industry watchers are waiting for more clues about future leadership of Boeing after Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said he will step down at the end of the year.
Source: AFP
