FAA investigates Boeing for possible falsification of 787 records
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing completed required inspections of its 787 aircraft and whether employees falsified aircraft records, officials said Monday.
The investigation is focused on whether Boeing conducted the necessary inspections to “confirm proper bonding and grounding where the wings attach to the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes,” the FAA said.
The agency said it opened the investigation after Boeing notified it that the company may not have completed required inspections necessary to ensure safe and functional electrical flow between aircraft components.
“The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” said the FAA.
“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.”
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The matter came to light after a Boeing employee observed an “irregularity” and raised the issue with a supervisor.
“We quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as done,” Scott Stocker, head of the Boeing 787 program, said in an email to staff.
“We have promptly informed our regulator of what we have found out and are taking prompt and serious corrective action with several teammates.”
Engineering staff determined that the problems did not pose an immediate risk to flight safety, he added.
The investigation adds to a series of problems facing Boeing following the incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January.
The FAA has given the company three months to submit a plan to resolve “systemic quality control issues.”
The management of the 787 was called into question at an April 17 hearing in the U.S. Senate, where a company whistleblower claimed to have suffered retaliation after raising concerns about the Dreamliner’s manufacturing processes that, in his opinion, threatened the safety of the aircraft.
With information from AFP
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