FAA Launches New Investigation Into Boeing 787 Dreamliner Production Line

(RTTNews) - The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation into Boeing after the company disclosed that it may have failed to conduct mandatory inspections relating to the wings of specific 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The inquiry was prompted by a staff member alerting Boeing management to the issue, which led to the company informing the FAA. The FAA has confirmed the investigation, noting that Boeing notified them in April about possible lapses in required inspections for ensuring proper bonding and grounding at the wing-fuselage junction on certain 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The FAA is also examining whether Boeing carried out the necessary inspections and whether there was any falsification of aircraft records by company personnel. Boeing is conducting re-inspections on all 787 aircraft still in production and is developing a plan for addressing the operational fleet.

In an internal memo obtained by the Guardian, Scott Stocker, the Boeing executive overseeing the 787 program, indicated that an employee flagged the issue as "misconduct," although it did not pose an immediate safety hazard for flights. However, the company is taking the matter seriously and is recognizing the employee who raised the concern. The memo also revealed that several individuals violated company policies by skipping a required test but documented it as completed.

Boeing has been under scrutiny since January when an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 plane had to make an emergency landing due to a door plug detachment during the flight. While the engineering team assessed the misconduct as not posing an immediate safety risk for flights, it will impact Boeing's customers and factory colleagues as the test now needs to be carried out of sequence on aircraft in production.