FAA Investigates Boeing After Inspection Records Were Falsified on 787 Dreamliners

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating Boeing following reports that certain employees neglected to conduct essential inspections on the 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Despite these skipped inspections, records were falsely reported as complete. These inspections are crucial for verifying the bonding and grounding of fasteners that link the wings to the fuselage, ensuring the aircraft can withstand phenomena like lightning strikes.

Around 450 aircraft could potentially be affected, with about 60 still under Boeing’s control. Boeing has reassured the public that the omitted inspections do not pose an immediate safety threat, citing the aircraft’s design, which includes multiple redundancies against such events. The company has initiated re-inspections of the planes still in its possession.

The issue came to light internally last Monday when Boeing’s Scott Stocker sent an email to employees acknowledging the breach of protocol and the ongoing corrective measures. The revelation follows recent Senate sub-committee testimonies by a Boeing quality engineer about overlooked production concerns with the Dreamliner. While Boeing remains tight-lipped about the exact number of planes involved, this issue suggests a significant lapse over an extended period. The FAA has yet to confirm any immediate safety risks to the aircraft currently in service but continues its investigation.