Topline
Boeing is inspecting a quality issue with undelivered 787 Dreamliner aircraft, after finding hundreds of fasteners were incorrectly installed, the company said Thursday—the latest manufacturing issue for the aerospace firm as it faces increased scrutiny from regulators over safety concerns.
The aerospace company said there are no immediate concerns the issue would affect flight safety.
Key Facts
Boeing is inspecting the fasteners—a metal piece connecting two or more objects, like a joint—on “some” undelivered 787 Dreamliner planes “to ensure they meet our engineering specifications,” the company said in a statement to Forbes.
There is no concern about the issue affecting flight safety, according to Boeing, which said it will determine whether any rework is needed on all undelivered aircraft in inventory.
Boeing said there will be “limited to no impact” on deliveries because of the issue, adding deliveries for new 787 planes have not been paused.
The investigation will cover how the fasteners were tightened at Boeing’s manufacturing plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, where more than 900 fasteners are installed per plane, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Surprising Fact
The Federal Aviation Administration said last month it would investigate claims from Boeing that some employees falsified inspection records for some 787 Dreamliners. Boeing notified the FAA about the issue after an employee reported what appeared to be an “irregularity” during required safety tests. Scott Stocker, general manager of Boeing’s 787 program, said in a memo the company determined the skipped inspections didn’t create a safety issue, according to The Washington Post.
Key Background
Federal regulators have increasingly scrutinized Boeing, after a metal door plug flew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 during the middle of a flight in January. A subsequent probe by the National Transportation Safety Board found the aircraft was missing several key bolts, suggesting the plane had flown without the bolts for three months before the incident. The NTSB also said paperwork for the removal of the bolts did not exist. Earlier this week, Boeing reported only receiving four orders for new planes in May, a month after the company reported just seven sales for its aircraft. Last month, Boeing gave the FAA a new comprehensive plan to address the company’s “systemic quality control issues” in manufacturing, following a warning by the agency indicating it would have increased oversight at the company.
Tangent
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said during a Senate hearing Thursday the agency has “multiple active investigations” into Boeing, adding the FAA is “processing a number of reports filed by whistleblowers,” according to Bloomberg. Whitaker also said the FAA’s oversight of Boeing was “too hands-off” before the Alaska Airlines incident in January, as the agency was “too focused on paperwork audits and not focused enough on inspections.”
Further Reading
Boeing Investigates Quality Problem On Undelivered 787s, Sources Say (Reuters)
Boeing Says It’s Inspecting Undelivered 787s For Fastener Issue (Bloomberg)
