Boeing Increases 787 Delivery Checks Due to Manufacturing Issue
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:
Boeing Ups 787 Delivery Checks Due To Manufacturing Issue - News AKMI:
Production problems and delivery delays are continuing to trouble Boeing's 787 Dreamliner program. Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began a review of the Dreamliner's assembly line following a series of quality control issues. More recently, the inspection regime has stepped up yet again following the revelation of further quality control problems at Boeing's 787 factories.
The story was first reported by Andrew Tangel and Andy Pasztor in The Wall Street Journal earlier today. That report says Boeing has increased inspections following the discovery of previously identified defects. But the defects have now cropped up in new parts of the fuselage.
The report says the defects are imperfections around joins on the carbon-composite fuselage, meaning it isn't as smooth as it should be. In the words of a Boeing spokesperson, parts of the fuselage "may not meet specified skin flatness tolerances." The defects are tiny, about the width of a human hair.
The FAA is aware of the problem and is talking to Boeing. Both Boeing and the FAA stress the spots don't raise immediate safety concerns. An FAA spokesperson told Simple Flying;
"The FAA continuously engages with Boeing through established continued operational safety and manufacturing oversight processes to appropriately address any issues that might arise."
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.