Boeing says 787 data may be incorrect, prompting new FAA investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration opened a new investigation into Boeing after the plane maker informed the regulator last month that it may have failed to perform some required inspections on new 787 planes rolling off the assembly line.

“The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records. At the same time, “Boeing is reassessing all 787 aircraft still in production and must also develop a remediation plan for the in-service fleet,” the FAA said in a statement. “As the investigation continues, the FAA will – as always – take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the flying public.”

USA TODAY obtained a copy of a memo that Scott Stocker, head of the 787 program, sent to Boeing employees last week to address the issue.

According to the document, a whistleblower alerted his supervisor that there were “irregularities” in a compliance test where the wings meet the fuselage body.

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“We quickly reviewed the matter and determined that multiple individuals violated company policy by failing to perform a required test but instead logging the work as completed,” the memo said. “We immediately informed our regulator of our findings and, together with several teammates, are taking swift and serious corrective action.”

Boeing said its engineering teams are confident the problem does not raise concerns about the plane’s safety of flight. However, there will likely be further production delays as testing will need to be carried out on aircraft that have not yet been carried out.

It’s the latest trouble and reputational damage for Boeing, which has come under intense scrutiny from regulators and consumers alike this year due to in-flight fuselage damage to the 737 Max and other reports of problems on its production line.

Alaska Airlines, which operated the 737 Max that suffered the incident in January, has received $162 million in cash compensation from Boeing so far this year and another $61 million in credits for future purchases.

Contribution: Reuters

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

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