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View Full Version : Seat Supplier Koito "falsified test results"


Mad (Flt) Scientist
11th Feb 2010, 23:09
... and did various other shady practices, according to this AIN Online (http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/-189becaf64/) story:

Koito Industries, a Japanese supplier of seats to carriers such as Continental Airlines, falsified test results and made unauthorized design changes on 150,000 seats supplied to 32 international airlines, Japan’s Transport Ministry said.

After getting his wrists slapped by ministry officials on February 8, Koito president Takashi Kakegawa apologized at a news conference. “Fraudulent acts were conducted across the organization,” he said.

...


I'm actually quite surprised at what seems to be a fairly lenient oversight response - I'd have thought that you'd be looking at losing your design/manufacturing approval for pulling the kinds of stunts these guys reportedly did. (Though I suspect once the lawyers get hold of them, it won't make much difference in the long run ...)

sb_sfo
12th Feb 2010, 03:44
Let's see, JAL's bankrupt, Toyota is getting hammered, Honda has a recall going on, now this stuff with Koito. Japan, Inc. has some 'splaining to do...

Bushfiva
12th Feb 2010, 12:13
Strange how this suddenly becomes an SLF issue. One would imagine it would be a "adherence to contracted standards" issue between industrial partners. Because, of course, if Koito routinely falsifies data on an industrial scale, then does that attitude carry across to its other products? 

Aircraft exterior/interior lights
Caution warning panels, other LCDs
Hydraulic equipment
Interior equipment including control sticks
Marine lighting

I dunno, perhaps the "it's only seats" people don't realise how much of their aircraft is made by Koito.

ProfEng
12th Feb 2010, 14:33
Strange how this suddenly becomes an SLF issue.Because they use the seats in question, in the hope that they are designed and made to meet certification standards?

It's also a contractual issue between the sellers and buyers as Bushfiva says, to say nothing of a quality control issue for the buyers.

Safety Management System, anyone? Including a requirement for all suppliers to have an SMS, and to then audit the suppliers?