The federal government agency within the US Department of Transportation, which regulates civil aviation in the United States and surrounding international waters, has initiated an investigation into US aerospace giant Boeing Company to determine if one of its aircraft facilities failed to conduct required inspections, and if there was any falsification of records by its employees.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched its inquiry following Boeing’s own disclosure of alleged “misconduct” at its South Carolina facility. There were no planes removed from operation after the “misconduct” discovery, but some extra inspections have been ordered at the final assembly facility, thus resulting in a delay in aircraft deliveries.
It appears that the new federal probe is focusing on the program, that develops Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the company’s wide-body airliner commonly utilized for long-distance travel.
In its official statement, the Federal Aviation Administration stated: “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.”
Federal regulators added that Boeing is currently conducting a comprehensive re-inspection of all 787 aircraft that are still in the production system, and is required to develop a plan to address any issues with the in-service fleet.
Boeing has also made public an internal memo from the chief of the 787 program, revealing that a worker at the South Carolina factory had identified an “irregularity” during the wing-to-body joint tests and promptly informed his immediate supervisor. Upon receiving the report, the matter was allegedly promptly investigated, discovering numerous occasions where employees had failed to conduct a required test but falsely documented it as completed. The memo also stated that the company was responding to the situation with immediate and significant measures to rectify the issue.
Boeing is currently facing several issues with its aircraft production. Just last week, it was revealed that the absence of a crucial component was causing delays in the manufacturing of the Dreamliner. The company also informed its investors that there would be a shortfall in the number of Dreamliner planes delivered this year, attributed to shortages of heat exchangers (crucial components in aviation technology responsible for transferring heat from one medium to another within an aircraft) and problems with cabin seats.
Adding to the growing list of company’s grievances, monthly production of another popular aircraft, Boeing 737 MAX, has also dwindled into single digits due to ongoing manufacturing problems following an incident earlier this year where a door plug blew out during Alaska Airlines flight.
Boeing stock declined 1.5% following the news.
