FAA investigating Boeing 787 Dreamliner inspections

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has flagged possible “misconduct” by some employees who may have falsely reported that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner underwent key tests during production. As a result, an investigation was launched.

The FAA said in a statement that the company may not have completed necessary inspections in April to ensure proper adhesion and grounding of the wing-to-fuselage interface on some 787 Dreamliner aircraft. We voluntarily notified the government.”

The agency is also investigating “whether Boeing’s employees may have falsified aircraft records,” and said Boeing is “re-inspecting all 787s still in production.” “There is,” he said.

Asked for comment, a Boeing spokesperson provided an April 29 email from Scott Stocker, head of the 787 program, to employees in South Carolina, where the Dreamliner is assembled.

“We quickly investigated this matter and discovered that several individuals had violated company policy of not performing required testing and recording work as completed,” Stocker said. I wrote by email.

Boeing is taking swift and serious corrective action with “multiple” employees and is “meeting with numerous teams to discuss efforts to ensure this never happens again,” Stocker said. he added, thanking his teammates for coming forward.

The news follows whistleblower testimony before a Senate subcommittee last month about flaws in the 787’s manufacturing process. After Boeing quality engineer Sam Salepour raised concerns that parts of the 787 Dreamliner’s fuselage were not properly joined together, potentially causing the plane to explode prematurely in the air, Boeing detailed allegations of harassment and intimidation by upper management.

Beoing CEO Dave Calhoun was invited to testify along with the whistleblower, but did not attend the hearing.

After the hearing, a Boeing spokesperson told The Hill that the company is “completely confident in the safety and durability of the 787 Dreamliner,” adding, “To date, approximately 700 of the aircraft are in service. Extensive and rigorous testing and heavy maintenance inspection of the aircraft revealed the following: There is zero evidence of aircraft fatigue. ”

The 787 Dreamliner drama compounds a high-profile accident involving one of the company’s 737 Max 9 planes in January. Shortly after takeoff on January 5, an Alaska Airlines plane’s door plug blew, prompting multiple investigations by the FAA, Justice Department and lawmakers.