On May 18, 2021, the members of the United States House of Representatives announced seeking more data from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787 Dreamliner manufacture issues.
Following the latest production problems with Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the US House of Representatives Transportation Committee chairman Peter DeFazio and the chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee Rick Larsen said they would need records on both aircraft production in order to examine issues that are “pointing to quality control problems and the ability of the FAA to properly oversee both production facilities”.
“I’ve stated many times, our oversight work never ends—and in light of these new and ongoing issues that point to problems in maintaining quality control and appropriate FAA oversight of production issues, I will thoroughly and deliberately investigate any issues, such as those affecting the 737 MAX and the 787, that may endanger public safety,” DeFazio was quoted in a Transportation Committee press release.
On April 30, 2021, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive requiring Boeing to address an “unsafe condition” of certain Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The move came after Boeing called on 16 737 MAX operators to address the electrical problem on April 9, 2021. According to the FAA, approximately 109 aircraft were affected by the problem, 71 of which were registered in the United States.
The safety concern of a specific group of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft came after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ungrounded the aircraft on November 18, 2021. The latest problem discovered on the MAX aircraft is known to be unrelated to the flight control system error that contributed to two fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, claiming 346 lives.
A production issue with Boeing 787 Dreamliner first was found in late August 2020, as it appeared that the aft fuselage section of some 787s would not be able to withstand maximum stress, making it more prone to a structural failure whilst in the air. Boeing proceeded to ground eight Dreamliners.
Another problem was found in September 2020. The issue was related to the horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft, as parts of the horizontal stabilizer were clamped together with greater force than it was designed to.