Boeing Investigates Installation Errors on Undelivered 787s

Boeing is investigating a quality issue with undelivered 787 Dreamliner aircraft, after discovering that hundreds of fasteners were incorrectly installed. The company stated that the investigation is to ensure that all fasteners meet their engineering specifications. Despite this issue, Boeing reassured that there is no concern regarding flight safety. The company will determine if any rework is needed on all undelivered aircraft in inventory. Boeing also mentioned that there will be “limited to no impact” on deliveries and that deliveries for new 787 planes have not been paused.

The investigation will focus on how the fasteners were tightened at Boeing’s manufacturing plant in North Charleston, South Carolina. Each plane has more than 900 fasteners installed, making this a significant undertaking.

In a surprising development, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last month that it would investigate claims from Boeing regarding falsified inspection records for some 787 Dreamliners. This issue came to light after an employee reported an “irregularity” during required safety tests. However, Boeing stated that the skipped inspections did not pose a safety issue.

Boeing has been under increased scrutiny from regulators, particularly after an incident involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 in January. During a flight, a metal door plug flew off the aircraft, prompting an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB found that several key bolts were missing, indicating that the plane had flown without them for three months prior to the incident. Additionally, paperwork for the removal of the bolts was nonexistent.

In response to these issues, Boeing has implemented a new comprehensive plan to address its “systemic quality control issues” in manufacturing. The FAA has indicated that it will increase oversight at the company as a result.

During a Senate hearing, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker acknowledged that the agency has “multiple active investigations” into Boeing and is processing reports filed by whistleblowers. Whitaker also stated that the FAA’s oversight of Boeing was “too hands-off” before the Alaska Airlines incident, as the agency was overly focused on paperwork audits and not enough on inspections.