https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/faa-opens-new-investigation-into-boeing-787-wing-to-body-join-work/ Skip to content * Coronavirus * Local News + Traffic Lab + Law & Justice + Local Politics + Education + Education Lab + Eastside + Climate Lab + Environment + Health + Data + Mental Health + Project Homeless + Times Watchdog * Business & Tech + Boeing & Aerospace + Amazon + Microsoft + Technology + Real Estate + Economy + Artificial Intelligence * Nation & World + Nation & World Politics + Oddities * Sports + Seahawks + Mariners + Kraken + Storm + Sounders + Reign + Huskies + Cougars + High School Sports + On TV/Radio * Entertainment + Movies + Books + Music + Theater + Classical Music + TV/Streaming + Comics + Games & Puzzles + Horoscopes * Life + Food & Drink + Travel & Outdoors + Wellness + Pets + Rant & Rave * Pacific NW Magazine * Homes & Real Estate * Opinion + Editorials + Letters to the Editor + David Horsey + Free Press * Video * Photography * Obituaries + News Obituaries + Paid Obituaries * Newsletters * Print Replica * Today's Paper * Inside The Times * The Ticket * Explore * Jobs * Best in the PNW * Newsletters * Log In * Subscribe Boeing & Aerospace * Local * Biz * Nation * Sports * Entertainment * Life * Homes * Opinion * | * The Ticket * Jobs * Explore * All Sections * Local + Coronavirus + Traffic Lab + Project Homeless + Law & Justice + Local Politics + Education + Education Lab + Eastside + Environment + Northwest + Data + Health + Times Watchdog + Mental Health + Inside The Times + News Obituaries + Photo & Video + Nation & World + Politics + Oddities * Business + Boeing + Amazon + Artificial Intelligence + Microsoft + Technology + Economy + Real Estate * Sports + Seahawks + Mariners + Kraken + Storm + Sounders + Reign + Huskies + Cougars + High Schools + Snow Sports + Geoff Baker + Matt Calkins + Larry Stone + Bob Condotta + On TV/Radio * Entertainment + Movies + Books + Music + Theater + Classical Music + TV/Streaming + Comics + Games & Puzzles + Horoscopes * Life + Pacific NW Magazine + Food & Drink + Happy Hour + Wellness + Home & Decor + Pets + Rant & Rave + Bethany Jean Clement * Travel + Outdoors + Northwest Hikes + Washington + Oregon + B.C. + Hawaii * Opinion + Editorials + Letters + Op-Eds + David Horsey + Kate Riley + Mark Higgins + Brier Dudley + Alex Fryer + Carlton Winfrey + Claudia Rowe + Free Press * Columnists + FYI Guy + Seattle Sketcher + Danny Westneat + Naomi Ishisaka + Jon Talton * Best in the PNW * The Ticket * Jobs * Autos * Homes Listings * Classifieds * Paid Obituaries * Explore * Sponsored Posts * Seattle Times Store * Contact * FAQs * Subscriber Services * Print Replica * Today's Paper * iOS App * Android App * Boeing & Aerospace * Amazon * Real Estate * Economy * Microsoft * Technology Boeing & Aerospace * Boeing & Aerospace * Amazon * Real Estate * Economy * Microsoft * Technology Boeing & Aerospace * Newsletters * Log In * Subscribe * Boeing & Aerospace * Business * Economy Boeing 787 employees falsified inspection records; FAA opens probe May 6, 2024 at 12:00 pm Updated May 6, 2024 at 2:35 pm Dominic Gates By Dominic Gates Seattle Times aerospace reporter The FAA has opened an investigation into Boeing's 787 Dreamliner after the company disclosed that employees in South Carolina falsified inspection records on work done where the wings are joined to the fuselage body. Boeing informed the Federal Aviation Administration in April that, despite records indicating completion of required inspections, workers had not performed some of those inspections to confirm adequate bonding and electrical grounding at the 787 wing-to-body join. "The FAA is investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records," the federal safety agency said via email. This is the latest in a long litany of lapses at Boeing that have come to light under the intense scrutiny of the company's quality oversight since a passenger cabin panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Boeing said its engineers have established that this newly discovered lapse does not create "an immediate safety of flight issue." On April 29, Scott Stocker, 787 vice president and general manager at Boeing's assembly plant in North Charleston, S.C., sent a message to all employees there telling them that one worker had noticed the required tests at the wing-to-body join were not being done and spoke up about it internally. His manager informed executives of the lapse. Advertising "After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed," Stocker wrote. "Our engineering team has assessed that this misconduct did not create an immediate safety of flight issue. But it will impact our customers and factory teammates, because the test now needs to be conducted out of sequence on airplanes in the build process," Stocker added. Stocker told employees in the message that Boeing has "zero tolerance for not following processes designed to ensure quality and safety." He said Boeing promptly informed the FAA and is "taking swift and serious corrective action with multiple teammates." Stocker also praised the employee who first flagged the problem. "I wanted to personally thank and commend that teammate for doing the right thing," his message states. "It's critical that every one of us speak up when we see something that may not look right." Stocker's message concluded by saying that he will "be meeting soon with a number of teams to discuss what we're doing to ensure this doesn't happen again." Advertising The FAA said Boeing is inspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet. "As the investigation continues, the FAA will take any necessary action -- as always -- to ensure the safety of the flying public," the FAA wrote. This new 787 quality concern is unrelated to the 787 fuselage gaps described as unsafe in an April congressional hearing by Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour. However, Salehpour's lawyers Debra Katz and Lisa Banks issued a statement after the news broke criticizing Boeing for "the culture it created that led its workers to falsify records." "By reporting an employee's concerns to the F.A.A., Boeing is now congratulating itself for doing the bare minimum to respond," the lawyers added. More on Alaska Airlines and the Boeing 737 MAX 9 * FAA's 'cozy' relationship with Boeing at issue again after Alaska Air blowout * Boeing's long fall, and how it might recover * Dish soap to help build planes? Boeing signs off on supplier Spirit AeroSystem's method * Boeing pays Alaska Airlines $160 million in compensation for blowout * After midair blowout, passengers want Boeing and Alaska Air to 'notice' them * Alaska Airlines blames Boeing for blowout, wants out of passenger lawsuit * More on the Boeing 737 MAX Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or dgates@seattletimes.com; Dominic Gates is a Pulitzer Prize-winning aerospace journalist for The Seattle Times. Most Read Business Stories * Seattle-founded REI struggles to adapt to changing retail. What's next? * Whistleblower Josh Dean of Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems has died * Boeing 787 employees falsified inspection records; FAA opens probe * Frank Shrontz, former CEO and chairman of Boeing, dies at 92 * Boeing locks out firefighters after failed contract negotiations View Comments Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. View subscription offers here. For more information, visit our FAQ's. 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