(Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it has opened an investigation into the Boeing (NYSE:) 787 Dreamliner to see whether some employees committed “misconduct” by claiming certain tests that were not completed were completed.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
The US FAA has opened a new investigation into Boeing, which was already facing investigations related to a January 5 panel blowout on a 737 MAX. The FAA wants to know whether Boeing has conducted inspections to confirm adequate connections and electrical grounding where the wings connect to the fuselage of certain 787 Dreamliner aircraft at its South Carolina factory.
HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
Boeing informed the FAA that an employee at its South Carolina plant had found irregularities in a 787 test — and said in an email from a company vice president that the planemaker “learned that several people had violated company policy by not to perform the required test but to record the work as completed.”
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME BOEING HAS DISCOVERED A PAPERWORK PROBLEM?
No. Researchers looking into the Jan. 5 737 MAX blowout also found no specific documentation related to the production of the aircraft in question. In that 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. Boeing has not yet provided any paperwork showing whether this step took place or not, and has said it believes the required documents detailing the bolt removal were never prepared. Missing or falsified documentation is seen by experts as a glaring problem in the aerospace industry, where regulators require accurate production records.
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WILL THIS LATEST RESEARCH AFFECT AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION OR EXISTING AIRCRAFT?
It is possible. The FAA said Monday that Boeing is “re-inspecting all 787 aircraft remaining in the production system and must also develop a plan to address the in-service fleet.” Boeing currently produces fewer than five 787 aircraft per month. The company had said in April that it was already experiencing a slower production pace due to parts shortages.
WILL EVERYONE BE HELD RESPONSIBLE?
Boeing has said it is taking “swift and serious corrective action with multiple employees,” but it is not clear how the planemaker will fully respond to the issue. The company’s safety culture has come under scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators following the Jan. 5 eruption that damaged the aerospace giant’s reputation.
In April, Sam Salehpour, a current engineer at the company, said Boeing’s manufacturing practices do not adequately address safety concerns.
Boeing was not immediately available for comment.
