Boeing Checking Fasteners On Undelivered 787 Dreamliners

Quality-control lapses of any measure continue to plague Boeing, as new reports show that the company will be inspecting yet-to-be-delivered 787 Dreamliners for incorrectly installed fasteners. The fasteners in question were installed on one of the airliner’s carbon fiber fuselage sections.

Ironically, the intensity of FAA oversight into Boeing might actually mitigate the most recent negative news. According to a Bloomberg report, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker told a Senate hearing today (June 13), “You expect to see an increase in reports when you have a safe place for employees to report [safety issues], so that’s what we want to see. We would be a little concerned if we weren’t seeing an increase in numbers.”

The concern is over fasteners that might have been incorrectly torqued, meaning they could be too loose or too tight. The fasteners under scrutiny connect the mid-section carbon-composite fuselage barrels to components of the interior that provide strengthening. An FAA statement confirmed that the issue does not pose an immediate in-flight threat.

For Boeing’s part, the company said in a statement today, “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 further assured it had discovered the fastener issue through its internal quality management system and alerted the FAA accordingly.