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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened a probe into Boeing after the jetliner manufacturer reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records for certain 787 aircraft.
“The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” the agency said, according to The Seattle Times.
FAA opens investigation after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records. pic.twitter.com/CVQ0DSbsgz
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) May 7, 2024
According to the Associated Press, Boeing said its engineers have determined that misconduct did not create “an immediate safety of flight issue.”
The FAA investigates after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records https://t.co/IANZGPO6zG
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 7, 2024
From the Associated Press:
In an email to Boeing’s South Carolina employees on April 29, Scott Stocker, who leads the 787 program, said a worker observed an “irregularity” in a required test of the wing-to-body join and reported it to his manager.
“After receiving the report, 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 having been completed,” Stocker wrote.
Boeing notified the FAA and is taking “swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates,” Stocker said.
No planes have been taken out of service, but having to perform the test out of order on planes will slow the delivery of jets still being built at the final assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Boeing must also create a plan to address planes that are already flying, the FAA said.
The 787 is a two-aisle plane that debuted in 2011 and is used mostly for long international flights.
STORY UPDATED
Boeing admits 787 employees in South Carolina falsified inspection records.The jetmaker says it’s not an immediate safety of flight issue.
The FAA has opened an investigationhttps://t.co/oYqJ7bBBI4
— Dominic Gates (@dominicgates) May 6, 2024
Per The Seattle Times:
Boeing said it is still “determining the full scope of affected airplanes.”
Stocker told employees in his message that Boeing has “zero tolerance for not following processes designed to ensure quality and safety.”
He said Boeing promptly informed the FAA and is “taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates.”
Stocker also praised the employee who first flagged the problem.
“I wanted to personally thank and commend that teammate for doing the right thing,” his message states. “It’s critical that every one of us speak up when we see something that may not look right.”
Stocker’s message concluded by saying that he will “be meeting soon with a number of teams to discuss what we’re doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
The FAA said Boeing is inspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet.
