The FAA’s investigation will look into whether Boeing employees “may have falsified” some aircraft records

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating whether Boeing performed required inspections on certain 787 Dreamliner aircraft and whether company employees “may have falsified aircraft records.”

The FAA launched its investigation after Boeing voluntarily told the FAA in April that it may not have completed inspections on some aircraft “to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings connect to the fuselage.”

According to the FAA, Boeing is re-inspecting all 787 aircraft on the production line. The company must create a plan to deal with the aircraft already in service.

This does not pose an immediate safety concern, according to an internal memo to Boeing employees from Scott Stocker, Boeing South Carolina’s 787 vice president, general manager and site manager.

Production of the 787 Dreamliner moved from Everett to South Carolina in 2021.

According to Stocker’s memo, a Boeing employee brought the problem to attention after seeing something at the South Carolina factory that he believed was not being done correctly. Boeing leadership learned that several people were violating company policy by “failing to perform a required test but instead reporting the work as completed.”

According to Stocker, while this does not pose an immediate safety issue, it will impact the company’s customers as the aircraft will have to be tested out of production sequence.

The problem with the 787 Dreamliner comes as the company faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its aircraft and is accused of shoddy work by whistleblowers.

In late April, Boeing said it lost $355 million in the first quarter of the year due to declining revenue.