The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into allegations that employees at Boeing may have falsified inspection records for the 787 Dreamliner aircraft, according to aviation safety officials in the United States.
Boeing voluntarily notified authorities about potential lapses in required inspections for ensuring adequate bonding and grounding at the wing-to-fuselage junctions of certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes, the FAA disclosed on Monday.
“The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records,” stated an FAA spokesperson. “As the investigation continues, the FAA will take any necessary action to ensure the safety of the flying public.”
The concerns were raised after an employee flagged an “irregularity” and reported it to a supervisor, Scott Stocker, who heads the Boeing 787 programme. Stocker informed staff via email that several individuals had breached company policies by neglecting a mandatory test but falsely recording it as completed.
Boeing swiftly notified regulators and initiated corrective measures, Stocker assured, adding that the company’s engineering team assessed no immediate safety-of-flight issues arose from the misconduct. However, the incident will disrupt production sequences as the required test must now be conducted out of sequence on aircraft in the build process.
The investigation follows separate allegations by a Boeing whistleblower regarding significant production flaws in the 787. This scrutiny compounds Boeing’s safety woes, following a door panel blowout on a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this year.
As a result, the FAA restricted Boeing from ramping up production of the 737 MAX and mandated a plan to address systemic quality-control concerns within 90 days. These incidents add to the aviation giant’s tarnished reputation following two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES
