ALBAWABA - Boeing and Airbus are under tight scrutiny after FAA investigations recently launched, revealing that several of their jets have components sourced from titanium with faked authenticity records, according to reports from the New York Times.
Spirit AeroSystems, a supplier to Boeing for the fuselage and to Airbus for wings, investigated with the Federal Aviation Administration after the firm had unveiled some tiny holes of corrosion in its titanium elements.
The FAA is still determining the scope and effects of the problem, but the precise number of planes affected by this remains unknown, although it issued a statement saying: "Boeing reported a voluntary disclosure to the FAA regarding procurement of material through a distributor who may have falsified or provided incorrect records," adding that "Boeing issued a bulletin outlining ways suppliers should remain alert to the potential of falsified records."
The latest scandal only increases the pressure already being heaped on Boeing, as it faced an allegation that a door panel fell off one of its 737 Max 9s and had been put under investigation over concerns about its 787 Dreamliners' inspection reports.
The company turned over a plan to the FAA on May 30 that promised to remain in close contact with the agency as it made safety changes when Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun was scheduled to testify before a Senate panel, which had questions about the company's safety practices.
Spirit AeroSystems is now working to track the source of the titanium, which it says appears to have originated with a Chinese supplier and passed through Turkish Aerospace Industries before ending up in aircraft parts; according to the Financial Times, the investigation revealed that an employee of the Chinese supplier falsified the certification documents
While an initial examination has confirmed the titanium to be of correct grade, total traceability and compliance are not verified, leading to a close follow-up examination for possibly replacing the affected parts.
