ABC News: Aerospace company Boeing says some titanium parts on its 787 Dreamliner were improperly manufactured over the past three years, adding to a series of problems plaguing the aircraft.
The company said it has notified the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about the problems but has said the quality issue does not affect the immediate safety of flights.
The parts include fittings that help secure the floor beam in one fuselage section, as well as other fittings, spacers, brackets, and clips within other assemblies.
Undelivered planes will be reworked, and planes already carrying passengers will go through a review process with Boeing and receive FAA confirmation.
The parts were provided by fellow aerospace company Leonardo, who purchased the items from Italian-based company Manufacturing Processes Specification (MPS).
Leonardo said in a statement the issues are ascribed to MPS and the Italian-based company, “is under scrutiny by prosecutors, therefore, Leonardo is (an) injured party and will not bear any potential costs associated with this issue”.
Leonardo said they no longer use MPS as a supplier.
The defect was found by Boeing while the company grapples with other problems in its 787 Dreamliner that caused it to cut production and halt deliveries since May.
Problems started in September 2020 when the FAA said it was investigating manufacturing flaws.
Airlines using that model removed eight jets from service.
Boeing was able to resume deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner in March after a five-month hiatus — only to halt them again in May after the FAA raised concerns about its proposed inspection method.
In July, the FAA said some 787 Dreamliners had a manufacturing quality issue near the nose of the plane that must be fixed before Boeing can deliver to customers.
Courtesy: Reuters/ abc.net.au
