U.S. officials have declared the completion of examinations on the initial batch of Boeing aircraft grounded for safety review following the mid-flight detachment of a cabin panel from one of the company’s jets.
After the January 5 incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the out-of-service status of 171 Boeing aircraft.
It announced the completion of forty inspections but provided no additional information regarding when the aircraft might be cleared to fly.
Preliminary evaluations, according to airlines, uncovered problems, including loose bolts.
Since the aircraft was deemed unfit for service, hundreds of flights have been cancelled. Alaska Airlines and United, the two carriers that operated most of the impacted aircraft, are affected.
Officials will evaluate the findings to determine whether the maintenance and inspection performed on the initial batch of aircraft were adequate, the FAA announced on Wednesday.
The agency said all grounded aircraft must undertake this procedure before being licenced for flight once it is authorised.
The update comes as pressure increases on Boeing and the FAA to respond to the emergency shortly after takeoff on the Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to California, during which a cabin panel burst.
Legal Action Against Boeing
Two lawsuits have been lodged by passengers of the plane, who returned to the airport without any significant injuries. Asserting that the incident caused severe distress and trauma and that not every oxygen mask on board was operational.
“Mom… We all wear veils. One passenger allegedly texted “I love you” at the time, as stated in one of the complaints alleging negligence by Boeing and Alaska Airlines.
Last week, the FAA announced that its investigation into Boeing’s production lines and manufacturing processes would be expanded. This expansion would include its troubled supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
Additionally, it declared its intention to assess potential modifications to the existing contentious quality review system. In this system, the regulator assigns a substantial portion of its duties to Boeing personnel.
Senator Maria Cantwell, who represents the historic Boeing base in Washington, requested documents from the agency last week, stating that the FAA’s oversight procedures “did not appear to be effective in ensuring that Boeing produces aircraft that are in safe operating condition.”
Boeing is recovering from two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.
As a result of the discovery that a component of its flight control system was inadequately designed. The widely used 737 Max aircraft were grounded worldwide for over eighteen months. Insufficient FAA oversight was also criticized.
Challenges in Boeing’s Manufacturing
Boeing has disclosed a series of minor manufacturing complications since resuming operations.
Wednesday, the Boeing aircraft scheduled to convey U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken from Davos to Washington was prevented from taking off due to a “critical failure related to an oxygen leak,” as reported.
Boeing Commercial Aircraft CEO and president Stan Deal said the company was “not where we need to be” in manufacturing. This week, Boeing announced that an external party would be hired to evaluate its operations.
