Boeing’s latest 787 flaw puts fleet under scrutiny

Bloomberg

Almost every Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner may have a newly disclosed manufacturing flaw in its horizontal stabiliser, said a person familiar with the matter.
While Boeing says the issue doesn’t pose an immediate hazard, engineers are studying whether the fault could prematurely age the jets’ carbon-fiber structure. Improper gaps in the stabiliser, the small wing in the aircraft tail, could exist in about 900 jets, said the person, who asked not to be named because the matter is under investigation.
Boeing has slowed Dreamliner deliveries while crews check planes for the problem. Depending on what its engineers find, the company may recommend inspections or take no action, said another person familiar with the matter.
The company also is examining new Dreamliners for a separate fuselage issue, which came to light late last month when Boeing told 787 operators to ground eight of the jets. With that issue and the stabiliser gap, any variation that is greater than 0.005 inch — about the thickness of a human hair — is beyond the maximum allowed.
The potential defects on Boeing’s marquee wide-body jet further endanger the company’s reputation as it works with regulators to end the worldwide grounding of a separate model, the 737 Max. That aircraft has been out of service for almost 18 months after two crashes killed 346 people. In the case of the fault with the 787’s stabiliser, Boeing engineers have “determined that this is not an immediate safety of flight issue,” the company said.
“We are taking time to thoroughly inspect completed 787s to ensure that they are free of the issues and meet all engineering specifications prior to delivery,” Boeing said in an email. “We expect these inspections to affect the timing of 787 deliveries in the near-term.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it’s probing the 787 manufacturing flaws.
“It is too early to speculate about the nature or extent of any proposed airworthiness directives that might arise from the agency’s investigation,” the FAA said.
The regulator is already seeking multiple civil penalties against Boeing for issues including alleged undue pressure on workers who raised safety issues.
The company separately agreed to pay $12 million in 2015 to settle multiple accusations that involved lapses in manufacturing, including at the South Carolina facility where some of the 787s are produced.