Federal air-safety regulators are launching a new investigation into Boeing following the company's recent disclosure that its employees may have skipped some inspections on 787 Dreamliners and falsified records.
This marks the latest quality issue at the manufacturer.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that Boeing notified the agency in April that it might not have completed required inspections on certain Dreamliners. These inspections were related to bonding and grounding aimed at reducing electrical hazards near the aircraft’s fuel tanks. Commercial jetliners have various safeguards to protect fuel tanks from lightning strikes or other issues.
The FAA is investigating "whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records." This comes as the agency has been scrutinizing Boeing’s production since the midair blowout of a door plug on a 737 MAX jet flown by Alaska Airlines on January 5.
It is not immediately clear whether any 787 Dreamliners currently flying passengers around the world will need to be pulled out of service for inspections. The agency stated that Boeing is re-inspecting all 787s in production and must formulate a plan to address the in-service Dreamliner fleet. About 450 Dreamliners could be affected, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Boeing stated in a securities filing that it had delivered 1,110 of the aircraft as of last year.
Boeing shares closed 0.8% lower on Monday, falling after The Wall Street Journal reported on the new FAA investigation. Broader U.S. stock indexes settled around 1% higher.
In an internal message on April 29, Boeing’s 787 program chief, Scott Stocker, said the company found no immediate problem for Dreamliners currently flying. Stocker stated that the issue arose from an internal system for employees to report problems and that Boeing quickly disclosed the matter to the FAA.
Boeing has recently slowed production of the 787 in part because of supplier issues. The plane maker has also said it would curtail the practice known as traveled work, or allowing unfinished work to flow through its factory.
Following the Alaska 737 MAX blowout, various whistleblowers have come forward, adding to scrutiny of Boeing. Complaints about alleged retaliation for speaking up about potential safety issues have drawn attention from Senate investigators as two committees conduct investigations into Boeing production.
Boeing has defended the safety of the 787 and pushed back against certain whistleblower claims, arguing that they aren’t accurate.
Factory records have emerged as an issue in the Alaska incident probe. Boeing has told the NTSB and U.S. lawmakers that it couldn’t find documentation related to work done on the 737 MAX fuselage panel that fell off midair in that case. The safety board has said four critical bolts were apparently missing when the 737 MAX 9 left Boeing’s Renton, Wash., factory.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Justice Department are also probing the Alaska blowout and issues related to Boeing’s safety culture.