Undelivered 787 Dreamliners are currently being inspected by Boeing at its South Carolina facility after the discovery that hundreds of fasteners may have been installed incorrectly, according to Reuters.
Two sources who have spoken to Reuters said that more than 900 fasteners per 787, split between the plane’s mid-fuselage, may have been incorrectly torqued or tightened.
Boeing has acknowledged the issue, but insists that there was no risk to flight safety and the problem does not affect any aircraft in service.
In a statement provided to the media, Boeing said: “Our 787 team is checking fasteners in the side-of-body area of some undelivered 787 Dreamliner airplanes to ensure they meet our engineering specifications. The in-service fleet can continue to safely operate. We are taking the time necessary to ensure all airplanes meet our delivery standards prior to delivery.”
Boeing confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is aware of the situation. According to the FAA, it was informed that there may be “improperly installed fuselage fasteners on some 787” aircraft.
A spokesperson for the FAA said: “The FAA is investigating and is working closely with Boeing to determine appropriate actions and to ensure an immediate fix in the production system.”
The two sources told Reuters that the fasteners in question may have been tightened using the head instead of the nut.
The FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker will travel to the South Carolina facility on June 14, 2024, for a pre-planned visit.
On June 13, 2024, Whittaker appeared before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation about the FAA’s oversight of aviation production and manufacturing.
He admitted that the FAA “should have had much better visibility into what was happening at Boeing before Jan. 5”.
Boeing’s ongoing issues with safety and quality stem from an incident on January 5, 2024, when a door plug separated from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 shortly after takeoff.
Since that incident, Boeing has faced aircraft production caps, audits and increased scrutiny of its production processes.