Boeing is currently undertaking inspections on undelivered and in-production 787 aircraft to ensure the accuracy of the assembly process. This action was prompted by the discovery that certain required tests, intended to validate the correctness of assembly steps, were documented as completed without actually being conducted.
By J Prakash
An employee at Boeing's South Carolina 787 final assembly facility raised concerns about a potential irregularity in a necessary conformance test during the wing-body joining process. This concern was promptly escalated to executive leadership after being brought to the attention of the employee's manager.
Upon investigation, Boeing determined that several individuals had violated company policies by failing to perform a required test and falsely recording it as completed. The company swiftly notified the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the situation.
In April, Boeing voluntarily disclosed to the FAA that there may have been lapses in completing required inspections to ensure proper bonding and grounding at the wing-fuselage junction on certain 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The FAA is currently investigating whether these inspections were carried out and whether there was any falsification of aircraft records by Boeing employees.
As a result of this discovery, Boeing has initiated re-inspections on all 787 aircraft still within the production pipeline. Additionally, the company is developing a plan to address inspections for the in-service fleet. Despite these actions, Boeing has assured that there are no immediate safety concerns associated with the identified issues.
The impact of these re-inspections on delivery schedules remains uncertain. Conducting the tests out of sequence in the build process will affect both customers and factory operations, as acknowledged by Scott Stocker, 787 Vice President & General Manager, in a recently disclosed internal email.
Stocker's email, made public on May 6 following a report by the Wall Street Journal, commended the employee who raised the concern and emphasized Boeing's stance on acceptable behaviour within the team.
This incident highlights Boeing's commitment to prioritizing safety concerns, even when it reflects negatively on the company. However, it also underscores the challenges that Boeing faces in maintaining regulatory compliance, particularly regarding safety-related records, which are crucial for aircraft certification.
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