In a significant development, Boeing has admitted to falsifying inspection records of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft. This disclosure follows the initiation of a new federal investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which came to light after reports from the Wall Street Journal and the Seattle Times. The FAA is specifically probing whether Boeing's employees at the North Charleston, South Carolina assembly plant altered records that certified the bonding and grounding processes in the aircraft's wing-to-fuselage join.
The FAA confirmed the ongoing investigation, stating, "Boeing voluntarily informed us in April that it may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding... We are investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records." The agency emphasized its commitment to take necessary actions to ensure public safety.
Scott Stocker, Boeing’s 787 Vice President and General Manager at the South Carolina plant, acknowledged the misconduct internally. He highlighted an incident reported by a Boeing employee who noticed discrepancies during a conformance test in wing body join. Despite the failure of some employees to perform required tests, recording them as completed, Stocker reassured that this misconduct did not pose an immediate safety threat. Boeing has informed regulators and is taking corrective actions against involved employees.
This revelation is part of a broader crisis for Boeing, which has been under severe scrutiny following multiple federal investigations into its manufacturing and safety standards. The scrutiny intensified after a January incident where an Alaska Airlines flight suffered structural damage mid-flight, allegedly due to a manufacturing defect.
Adding to Boeing's challenges are the mysterious deaths of whistleblowers who had raised safety concerns. In recent months, John Barnett, a former quality control engineer, and Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, both involved in legal actions against Boeing and its supplier, tragically died under alarming circumstances.
Boeing is currently navigating not only regulatory and safety challenges but also significant public relations and legal hurdles as federal authorities and Congress continue their investigations into the aerospace manufacturer's practices.
