The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is opening an investigation into Boeing 787 inspections

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had opened an investigation into the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after the plane maker said some employees committed “misconduct” by claiming some tests had been completed.

The FAA said it is investigating whether Boeing completed inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding at the wing-fuselage junction on some 787 Dreamliner aircraft “and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records.”

The agency said “Boeing must simultaneously re-examine all 787 aircraft still in the production process and develop a plan to remediate the fleet in service.”

Boeing shares fell 1.5 percent to $177.03 late Monday afternoon.

Boeing shared an April 29 email from Scott Stocker, who leads the company’s 787 program, to employees in South Carolina, where the planes are assembled.

In the email, Mr. Stocker said an employee noticed an apparent anomaly during a 787 compliance test.

The email said that after receiving the report, we “quickly reviewed the matter and determined that several individuals violated company policy by failing to perform a required test but instead logging the work as completed.”

Mr. Stocker said Boeing immediately communicated to the FAA “what we learned and are taking quick and serious corrective action with employees.”

“Our engineering team has concluded that this misconduct does not pose an immediate aviation safety concern,” he said.

Boeing said in April it expected a slower increase in the production rate and deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner widebody jets as the company struggled with supplier shortages “for some key parts.”

A Boeing quality engineer recently criticized some of the manufacturing practices on the wide-body 787 and 777 programs and testified before Congress last month.

The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into a Jan. 5 mid-air accident involving a Boeing 737 Max 9.

The National Transportation Safety Board said four key screws appeared to be missing from the plane that Boeing had delivered months earlier.

Boeing has said it believes the required documents detailing the removal of the screws were never created.

Updated: May 7, 2024, 3:40 a.m