((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had opened an investigation into the Boeing BA.N 787 Dreamliner to determine whether some employees committed “misconduct” by claiming certain tests that were not performed had been carried out successfully.
WHAT IS GOING ON? The American FAA has opened a new investigation into Boeing, which was already the subject of investigations linked to the shattering of a panel on a 737 MAX on January 5. The FAA wants to know whether Boeing has conducted inspections to confirm the adequacy of electrical bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage of some 787 Dreamliner planes at its South Carolina factory.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Boeing informed the FAA that an employee at the South Carolina factory discovered irregularities during a test of the 787. In an email sent by a vice president of the company, the latter said that the builder “had learned that several people had violated company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been performed”
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT A PAPERWORK-RELATED PROBLEM HAS APPEARED AT BOEING? No. Investigators looking into the January 5 737 MAX explosion () also found no specific documents relating to the production of the plane in question. In this incident, a door plug was removed to resolve manufacturing issues, but when the panel was reinstalled, four bolts needed to hold the door in place were missing. So far, Boeing has not produced any documentation indicating whether or not this step took place, and has stated that it believes the documents required to distribute the bolts’ removal were never created. Missing or falsified documents are seen by experts as a glaring problem in aerospace, where regulators demand meticulous production records.
WILL THIS NEW SURVEY HAVE AN IMPACT ON AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION OR ON EXISTING AIRCRAFT? It’s possible. The FAA said Monday that Boeing is “re-inspecting all 787 aircraft still in the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet” Boeing currently produces fewer than five 787 aircraft per month. In April, the company said it was already facing a slowdown in production due to a shortage of parts.
WILL ANYONE BE HELD RESPONSIBLE?
Boeing said it was taking “prompt and serious corrective action with respect to several employees,” but it is not yet clear how the plane maker will fully respond to the issue. The company’s safety culture has come under scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators after the Jan. 5 explosion, which tarnished the aerospace giant’s reputation. In April, Sam Salehpour, an engineer at the company, said Boeing’s manufacturing practices failed to adequately address safety concerns.
Boeing was not immediately available for comment.
