FAA Launches Investigation Into Boeing 787 Production Line

The probe is triggered after the aircraft manufacturer admitted that some inspections at its South Carolina assembly plant may have been falsified.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, May 07, 2024 at 01:57 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The FAA is investigating Boeing's manufacturing practices on the 787 Dreamliner. [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is investigating Boeing after the company admitted to potentially falsifying inspection records for the wing-to-body join process on certain 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Boeing discovered that employees had been violating company policies by not performing required tests but recording them as completed, prompting re-inspections of aircraft in production and a plan for the in-service fleet.
The issue, reported by an employee, is not considered an immediate safety-of-flight concern for the in-service fleet but will cause production delays for new aircraft.

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The FAA is investigating Boeing’s manufacturing practices on the 787 Dreamliner, following the company’s admission that its inspection records for the wing-to-body join process at the final assembly site in South Carolina may have been falsified.

“The FAA has opened an investigation into Boeing after the company voluntarily informed us in April that it may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes,” the agency said in a statement to FLYING. “The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records.”