OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
4:08 PM – Monday, May 6, 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it has launched an inquiry into the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after the aircraft manufacturer claimed that certain workers engaged in “misconduct” by falsely claiming that certain testing had been completed.
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On Monday, the FAA revealed the launch of a new safety probe into the Dreamliner. The goal of the probe is to determine whether Boeing completed the necessary safety inspections on each of its 787 Max aircrafts.
According to the FAA, it is also investigating whether Boeing completed the checks to ensure that the wings and fuselage of some 787 Dreamliners were properly bonded and grounded, “and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records.”
The FAA stated that “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 opened an investigation into Boeing after the company voluntarily informed us in April that it may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes,” the agency said, in an emailed statement. “The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records. As the investigation continues, the FAA will take any necessary action — as always — to ensure the safety of the flying public.”
Late Monday afternoon saw a 1.5% decrease in Boeing shares at $177.03.
When contacted for comment, Boeing forwarded an email dated April 29th, sent to staff members in South Carolina where the 787 is manufactured, from Scott Stocker, who manages the company’s 787 program.
According to Stocker’s email, an employee oversaw what appeared to be an irregularity in a necessary 787 conformance procedure.
After receiving the report, Stocker stated in the email that “we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed.”
According to Stocker, Boeing notified the FAA as soon as possible “about what we learned and are taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple” personnel. He continued, saying “our engineering team has assessed that this misconduct did not create an immediate safety of flight issue.”
“The teammate saw what appeared to be an irregularity in a required conformance test in wing body join. He raised it with his manager, who brought it to the attention of executive leadership. I wanted to personally thank and commend that teammate for doing the right thing. It’s critical that every one of us speak up when we see something that may not look right, or that needs attention,” Stocker’s statement read. “After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed. As you all know, we have zero tolerance for not following processes designed to ensure quality and safety. We promptly informed our regulator about what we learned and are taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates.”
Amidst supplier shortages “on a few key parts,” Boeing stated in April that it anticipates a slower growth in production rate and deliveries of its widebody 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Meanwhile, in a testimony given to Congress this month, a Boeing quality engineer recently questioned several of the manufacturing procedures used on the 787 and 777 wide body planes.
A criminal investigation is also being carried out by the Justice Department regarding the mid-air disaster of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 on January 5th.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the aircraft that Boeing had delivered months prior seemed to be missing “four important fasteners.”
Multiple federal investigations are now being carried out in order to better examine Boeing.
Since an Alaska Airlines airplane lost part of its hull in January, allegedly due to “a manufacturing defect,” the company has been under severe scrutiny. Regulators have also expressed concerns regarding Boeing’s safety procedures, in addition to congressional scrutiny.
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