Former Department of Transportation official Diana Ferchtgott Ross told “The Evening Edit” that the Federal Aviation Administration is “investigating.”
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing told FOX Business it is investigating whether some fasteners on undelivered 787 Dreamliner planes were installed incorrectly.
“Our 787 team is inspecting the side fasteners on undelivered 787 Dreamliner aircraft to ensure they meet our technical specifications,” a Boeing spokesman said on Friday.
“Aircraft currently in service remain safe to operate,” the spokesman added, saying the issue was discovered during a routine quality control inspection. “We are taking the time necessary to ensure all aircraft meet delivery standards before they are delivered. We are working closely with our customers and the FAA to provide ongoing updates.”
“Boeing has determined that it may have improperly installed fuselage fasteners on some 787 Dreamliner aircraft,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told FOX Business.
FAA won’t approve increased 737 MAX production in the near future
Workers walk past a fuselage section under construction at the Boeing 787 Dreamliner factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, in May 2023. (Gavin McIntyre/Pool/Reuters/Reuters Photo)
“The FAA is investigating and will work closely with Boeing to determine appropriate actions to ensure an immediate correction to the production system,” the agency added.
The FAA had already told Boeing in February to develop a comprehensive plan to fix quality-control issues following a Jan. 5 incident in which a door plug on a 737 Max 9 jet came off in flight during an Alaska Airlines flight.
| Ticker | safety | last | change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | Boeing | 180.70 | -1.97 | -1.08% |
“Boeing submitted its plan to the FAA on May 30. This plan does not mark the end of a phase of increased oversight of Boeing and its suppliers. Indeed, it is the beginning of a long journey,” FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker testified Thursday at a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
“A comprehensive approach to quality and safety issues requires a fundamental change in the safety culture of the company,” he added. “This is a systemic change and there is a lot of work to be done.”
Boeing employee safety and quality concerns increase dramatically
A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis after its maiden flight at Boeing Field in Seattle in September 2013. (Stephen Brasher/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“Our goal is to ensure Boeing has the right tools to implement the necessary changes and maintain those changes over the long term. Since Jan. 5, we have added safety inspectors to Boeing and Spirit facilities to closely scrutinize and monitor production,” Whitaker said. “The enhanced oversight efforts include more direct involvement of company employees, additional inspections at critical points in the production process, and ongoing audits of quality systems and manufacturing processes.”
Meanwhile, the FAA said Thursday it was investigating a “serious” incident in which a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane experienced a “Dutch roll” — which Boeing described as a rocking motion “from side to side” — during a flight from Phoenix to Oakland, California on May 25.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be built at the company’s assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, on May 30, 2023. (Juliette Michel/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
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The New York Times also reported Friday that the FAA is investigating counterfeit titanium parts that have allegedly been mixed into recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
FOX Business’ Breck Dumas and Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
