A new, potentially fatal flaw has been found in another series of Boeing planes. The administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said separately that the manufacturer is facing a long climb toward achieving its safety protocols.
The Boeing 777 series – including the –200LR, –300, –300ER and 777F – has a defect
in the fuel line that could cause an explosion. The issue
was first self-reported by Boeing.
“This condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source
inside the fuel tank and subsequent fire or explosion,” an Airworthiness Directives note reads.
A total of almost 300 planes in this series need to have the defect
repaired. The
777 series is widely used, especially by American Airlines and United Airlines
domestically.
“...(It) would require installing electrical bonding and grounding to a
component in the center fuel tank. It would make mandatory service actions that
Boeing described in a November 2023 alert bulletin,” an FAA spokesperson said
in a statement.
FAA administrator Says There is a Long Way to Go
Separately, FAA Administrator Mike
Whitaker said the company still
has a long way to go to recover from safety protocol issues in the wake of
the January 5 incident in which a door panel fell off an Alaska Airlines plane
mid-flight.
Boeing is
scheduled to deliver a comprehensive plan for safety protocols to the oversight
agency by May 30.
"It's
to bring the safety system where it needs to be and bring the culture where it
needs to be so that employees can speak up when they see something is
concerning," Whitaker said. "What we're seeing next week is the plan
going forward. It's not the end of the process. It's the beginning, and it's
going to be a long road to get going back where they need to be making safe
airplanes."
"We've
been engaged with the FAA and immediately went to work on our 90-day quality
action plan. We've completed our 30-and 60-day FAA reviews and will meet with
the FAA in a couple of weeks to present our final plan," retiring CEO Dave
Calhoun said three weeks ago. "We anticipate the FAA will take whatever
time is necessary to review that plan and hold us accountable to the various
control parameters that are put in place as we move forward."
He admitted several months ago that the company faced
serious challenges.
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