FX.co ★ FAA Launches New Investigation Into Boeing 787 Dreamliner Production Line

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an investigation into Boeing following revelations of potential inspection lapses on the wings of some 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The inquiry evolved from an alert by a staff member notifying Boeing's management of these discrepancies, subsequently leading Boeing to inform the FAA.

According to the FAA, in April, Boeing reported that some vital inspections might have been overlooked. These mandatory checks are essential to ensure proper bonding and grounding at the junction where the wing meets the fuselage in certain 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The FAA is also scrutinizing if Boeing carried out all requisite inspections and whether any aircraft records were falsified by personnel. In response, Boeing has undertaken re-inspections across every 787 aircraft still in production and is formulating a plan for addressing the operational fleet.

The Guardian sourced an internal memo from Boeing executive Scott Stocker, who supervises the 787 program. It indicated that a staff member had flagged up the issue citing 'misconduct', though this doesn't pose a direct flight safety hazard. Regardless, Boeing is taking the issue seriously while acknowledging the whistle-blower's contribution. The memo further exposed that some employees bypassed a vital test, falsely recording it as completed.

Scrutiny was heaped on Boeing earlier this year following an emergency landing by an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 aircraft due to an in-flight door plug detachment. The engineering team classified this misconduct as posing no immediate danger to flight safety, but the skipped inspection will affect Boeing's customers and factory staff as the test must now be conducted out of sequence on the production line.