Boeing faces new probe over reports workers faked inspections

Boeing ecoDemonstrator Explorer, a 787-10 Dreamliner, sits on the tarmac at their campus in North Charleston, S.C., May 30, 2023.

The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said on Monday that it had opened a new inquiry into troubled planemaker Boeing.

The latest in a series of safety scandals, Boeing told the FAA last month that its employees in South Carolina could have falsified aircraft records.

It said that safety checks for the 787 Dreamliner planes, marked completed, may not have been properly carried out.

The FAA has said that Boeing is consequently “reinspecting all 787 airplanes still within the production system and must also create a plan to address the in-service fleet.”

Boeing claimed that the potential misconduct does not pose an immediate flight safety issue, meaning no planes have been taken out of service.

Requirements for extra testing will nonetheless slow the delivery of jets still on the production line.

“As the investigation continues, the FAA will take any necessary action – as always – to ensure the safety of the flying public,” said the US’ regulatory body.

Boeing has faced intense scrutiny since a door plug blew out of one of its 737 Max planes during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a hole in the aircraft.

Although there were no casualties, the US Federal Aviation Authority blocked Boeing from expanding production of its best-selling, single-aisle 737 MAX jets.

The Justice Department is also conducting a criminal investigation into the incident.

In February, investigators found that the door panel that came loose was not properly attached.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the launch of Boeing’s first crewed space flight was cancelled because of a rocket valve problem.

The craft had been expected to blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on a flight to the International Space Station.

The faulty component was found in the Atlas V rocket operated by United Launch Alliance.