The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated an investigation into Boeing after receiving information that the company may not have completed required inspections on its 787 Dreamliner jets. The inspections were meant to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes. Boeing voluntarily reported this potential issue to the FAA in April. The agency is looking into whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records. Boeing is currently re-inspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and developing a plan to address the in-service fleet to ensure public safety.
Scott Stocker, who leads the Boeing 787 program, assured South Carolina Boeing employees that the matter is not an immediate safety concern for its in-service fleet. Stocker praised a factory employee for speaking up about a potential irregularity in a required conformance test in the wing body joint. It was discovered that several individuals within Boeing had been violating company policy by not performing a required test while recording the work as completed. Boeing promptly disclosed this information to the regulator and is taking corrective action with multiple staff members. Although the engineering team has determined that the misconduct did not pose an immediate safety of flight issue, the tests will need to be conducted out of sequence on airplanes currently in the build process.
A whistleblower recently claimed that Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner planes have structural failings that could lead to them breaking apart. Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour made these claims, and the FAA is looking into them. Boeing strongly refuted these claims and expressed confidence in the safety of the 787 Dreamliner. This investigation is just one of many negative stories that Boeing has been involved in recently. Earlier in the year, a door panel issue occurred on a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane flown by Alaska Airlines, leading the FBI to inform passengers that they may be victims of a crime under investigation.
Boeing’s decision to voluntarily inform the FAA of potential incomplete inspections on its 787 Dreamliner jets has led to an official investigation by the regulatory agency. The focus of the investigation is to determine whether Boeing complied with required inspections and whether employees falsified aircraft records. While the matter is not an immediate safety concern for the in-service fleet, Boeing is taking swift and serious corrective action, including re-inspecting all 787 airplanes in the production system. The company is also working on a plan to address the in-service fleet to maintain public safety and regulatory compliance.
Scott Stocker’s acknowledgment of a factory employee who raised concerns about a potential irregularity in the conformance test in the wing body joint highlights the importance of speaking up when something seems amiss. Despite finding instances of policy violations at Boeing, the company has acted promptly to address the situation and is working with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance and safety. The recent whistleblower claims about structural failings on the 787 Dreamliner planes have been contested by Boeing, which remains confident in the safety of its aircraft. The company’s response to these challenges reflects a commitment to transparency, accountability, and maintaining high safety standards in its operations.
