Tim Hefer, David Shepardson and Allison Lampert
PARIS/WASHINGTON/MONTREAL (Reuters) – Boeing is investigating a new quality problem with its 787 Dreamliner after discovering that hundreds of fasteners were improperly installed on the fuselages of some undelivered planes, two people familiar with the matter said.
The latest in a series of production problems affecting the US aircraft maker involves improper “tightening” or tightening at the Boeing (NYSE:) plant of more than 900 fasteners per plane, which are equally divided between both sides of the plane’s midsection, they said.
There are no immediate safety concerns, but Boeing is working to understand what caused the problem and will decide how much of any tweaks are needed once the investigation is complete, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Boeing confirmed the checks in response to a Reuters query on Thursday and said it did not see any impact on deliveries.
“Our 787 team is inspecting the side body fasteners on some undelivered 787 Dreamliners to ensure they meet our technical specifications. The park in operation can continue to operate safely,” the spokesperson said.
“We take the necessary time to ensure that all aircraft meet our delivery standards before delivery. We work closely with our customers and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to keep them updated.”
The FAA said in a statement that Boeing reported that some 787 aircraft may have had “improperly installed fuselage fasteners.” “The FAA is investigating and working closely with Boeing to determine appropriate actions and ensure immediate correction of the production system.”
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said he would hear from people on the ground during a previously scheduled visit to the Boeing 787 plant in South Carolina on Friday.
Boeing shares initially fell 1.7% before paring losses to remain unchanged.
The US planemaker has been under scrutiny from regulators and customers since the January 5 incident in which a smaller 737 MAX plane operated by Alaska Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing after a fuselage panel exploded mid-flight.
The latest manufacturing defect was discovered at the company’s South Carolina plant, where the 787’s lightweight carbon composite skin is attached to frame supports inside fuselage sections called spars.
Sources said the affected fasteners were tightened on the wrong side, using a socket instead of the proper nut.
In January, Boeing issued an advisory to suppliers outlining methods to ensure bolts were properly tightened following inspections of 737 MAX 9 planes grounded after the explosion.
Tracking data confirmed that 787 deliveries are continuing, albeit at a slower rate than usual due to a previous and unrelated production slowdown. FlightRadar24 reported that one 787-10 took off for its European customer on Wednesday.
Airlines are concerned about existing delivery delays, with some customers estimating the average delay at several months.