The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner after the U.S. planemaker revealed employee “misconduct” by claiming some testing had been completed.
The FAA said it is investigating whether Boeing performed inspections to confirm proper grounding – where the wings attach to the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner planes – “and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records.”
The agency said that “at the same time, Boeing is re-inspecting all 787 aircraft still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet.”
When asked for comment, Boeing provided an April 29 email from Scott Stocker, who heads the company’s 787 program, to employees in South Carolina, where the aircraft is assembled.
In the email, Stocker said an employee saw what appeared to be an irregularity in a compliance test required by 787.
Stocker said in the email that after receiving the report, “we quickly reviewed the matter and discovered that several people had been violating company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as performed.”
Stocker said Boeing quickly informed the FAA “about what we discovered and that we are taking prompt and serious corrective action with several” employees.
Boeing said in April that it expects a slower increase in the rate of production and deliveries of its wide-body 787 Dreamliner jets as it has encountered difficulties from a shortage of suppliers “for some key parts.”
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channels Youtube, WhatsApp and to newsletter. Turn on notifications and follow us on Facebook, x and instagram.
Add Comment