Boeing notifies FAA that parts in Max and other 737s may be ‘susceptible to premature
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Orbit
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Boeing notifies FAA that parts in Max and other 737s may be ‘susceptible to premature
cnbc.com/2019/06/02/boeing-notifies-faa-of-737-max-parts-that-may-be-susceptible-to-failure.html
Guess a roll of duct tape on board isn't gonna be accepted....
Guess a roll of duct tape on board isn't gonna be accepted....
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
cnbc.com/2019/06/02/boeing-notifies-faa-of-737-max-parts-that-may-be-susceptible-to-failure.html
Guess a roll of duct tape on board isn't gonna be accepted....
Guess a roll of duct tape on board isn't gonna be accepted....
I think they have been watching too many episodes of "suits" and think they can get away with this "Plausible deniability" line.
There was a whistle blower thread here on PPRN alleging just that, substandard subcontractor parts manufacturing and faked QC, but no official investigation afaik.
Perhaps these concerns will now be explored more fully. As SLF, can only hope Boeing is in the clear on this.
Perhaps these concerns will now be explored more fully. As SLF, can only hope Boeing is in the clear on this.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There was a whistle blower thread here on PPRN alleging just that, substandard subcontractor parts manufacturing and faked QC, but no official investigation afaik.
Perhaps these concerns will now be explored more fully. As SLF, can only hope Boeing is in the clear on this.
Perhaps these concerns will now be explored more fully. As SLF, can only hope Boeing is in the clear on this.
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes...637901849.html
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Munich, Germany
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It is on the FAA website: www (dot) faa (dot) gov/news/updates/?newsId=93206
6/2/2019 UpdateFAA Statement
Boeing has informed the FAA that certain 737NG and 737MAX leading edge slat tracks may have been improperly manufactured and may not meet all applicable regulatory requirements for strength and durability.
Following an investigation conducted by Boeing and the FAA Certificate Management Office (CMO), we have determined that up to 148 parts manufactured by a Boeing sub-tier supplier are affected. Boeing has identified groups of both 737NG and 737MAX airplane serial numbers on which these suspect parts may have been installed. 32 NG and 33 MAX are affected in the U.S. Affected worldwide fleet are 133 NG and 179 MAX aircraft.
The affected parts may be susceptible to premature failure or cracks resulting from the improper manufacturing process. Although a complete failure of a leading edge slat track would not result in the loss of the aircraft, a risk remains that a failed part could lead to aircraft damage in fight.
The FAA will issue an Airworthiness Directive to mandate Boeing's service actions to identify and remove the discrepant parts from service. Operators of affected aircraft are required to perform this action within 10 days. The FAA today also alerted international civil aviation authorities of this condition and required actions.
6/2/2019 UpdateFAA Statement
Boeing has informed the FAA that certain 737NG and 737MAX leading edge slat tracks may have been improperly manufactured and may not meet all applicable regulatory requirements for strength and durability.
Following an investigation conducted by Boeing and the FAA Certificate Management Office (CMO), we have determined that up to 148 parts manufactured by a Boeing sub-tier supplier are affected. Boeing has identified groups of both 737NG and 737MAX airplane serial numbers on which these suspect parts may have been installed. 32 NG and 33 MAX are affected in the U.S. Affected worldwide fleet are 133 NG and 179 MAX aircraft.
The affected parts may be susceptible to premature failure or cracks resulting from the improper manufacturing process. Although a complete failure of a leading edge slat track would not result in the loss of the aircraft, a risk remains that a failed part could lead to aircraft damage in fight.
The FAA will issue an Airworthiness Directive to mandate Boeing's service actions to identify and remove the discrepant parts from service. Operators of affected aircraft are required to perform this action within 10 days. The FAA today also alerted international civil aviation authorities of this condition and required actions.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: back of beyond
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More concerning perhaps is that half the article deals with the MAX problem rather than this particular issue. While copywriters might be paid by the word, it illustrates the public perception Boeing is facing.
Last edited by fizz57; 3rd Jun 2019 at 07:19. Reason: mistyped Boing...
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It is literally the first thing you see when you open the FAA website. With the heading "FAA Updates on Boeing 737 MAX"...
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: in the barrel
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Scotland
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Was it not charles shi or something along those lines? most people were quick to dismiss his claims, although having several bad experiences myself trying to get safety critical items made in china I can believe it.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Cape Town, ZA
Age: 62
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't think so. There was a guy with an Asian-sounding name here on PPRUNE with a lengthy whistleblower thread. As far as I recall from skim reading through his posts, it was exactly the issue with faked leading edge components that he tried to get official attention about.
The B737 story is a new issue, and there are few details so far. Original story link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-b...-idUSKCN1T30RX
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: in the barrel
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There seem to be many parts subcontractors, but the previous allegations were about flight spoilers on the B777: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-c...-idUSKBN1CL0R2
The B737 story is a new issue, and there are few details so far. Original story link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-b...-idUSKCN1T30RX
The B737 story is a new issue, and there are few details so far. Original story link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-b...-idUSKCN1T30RX
Pegase Driver
Join Date: May 1997
Location: Europe
Age: 74
Posts: 3,681
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From the FAA AD :
Just asking , on the 737 , asymmetric slats deployment is not big issue ?
Although a complete failure of a leading edge slat track would not result in the loss of the aircraft, a risk remains that a failed part could lead to aircraft damage in fight.
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Northern Territory Australia
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There was a whistle blower thread here on PPRN alleging just that, substandard subcontractor parts manufacturing and faked QC, but no official investigation afaik.
Perhaps these concerns will now be explored more fully. As SLF, can only hope Boeing is in the clear on this.
Perhaps these concerns will now be explored more fully. As SLF, can only hope Boeing is in the clear on this.
Further down in the article it reports that these whistleblowers lost their jobs.
it would be of interest to establish the reason why they lost their jobs and whether the DOJ investigated given their legal responsibility to protect whistleblowers.
From August 2017
Shi did have a long running thread on here trying to get some attention on the subject but I can’t find it through search functions now. It may still be there. I know it was a few months back.
In an emailed response to Reuters, the FAA said it investigated safety concerns raised by a whistleblower, Charles Shi, and substantiated two of his allegations. One was addressed and closed, and the other “remains open until the corrective action is fully implemented by Boeing and verified by the FAA.” It did not elaborate.
Boeing said it and Moog “had already assessed these two issues and taken all necessary corrective actions.” It stressed that “the safety of the flying public is our primary concern.”
Moog said it “promptly and properly investigated” the irregularities. “The suspect parts - none of which are flight safety critical - were determined to meet specifications,” it said.
Boeing said it and Moog “had already assessed these two issues and taken all necessary corrective actions.” It stressed that “the safety of the flying public is our primary concern.”
Moog said it “promptly and properly investigated” the irregularities. “The suspect parts - none of which are flight safety critical - were determined to meet specifications,” it said.
From a 2019 news article
As investigations of the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX jetliners continue, a former supply chain manager of the contractor for Boeing’s flight control systems says that substandard parts made in China with non-aerospace material have been installed in 777 and 737 planes that are still in service.
More from Shi. He has gone out on a limb to keep people safe.
As the manager for Moog Aircraft, Shi said he was responsible for the quality of the parts and materials that were purchased from all suppliers, and had the right to audit those suppliers.
Shi later told the FAA that he believed, based on his investigation, that NHJ had faked the raw material purchase record, and outsourced parts for Moog to an unknown supplier.
“NHJ was outsourcing Moog/Boeing business to other unknown and unapproved sub-contractors. One-third of Moog’s business, which was Boeing plane parts, was outsourced to illicit sub-contractors during 2015-2017. And I am willing to testify to this under oath,” Shi told The Epoch Times.
Shi later told the FAA that he believed, based on his investigation, that NHJ had faked the raw material purchase record, and outsourced parts for Moog to an unknown supplier.
“NHJ was outsourcing Moog/Boeing business to other unknown and unapproved sub-contractors. One-third of Moog’s business, which was Boeing plane parts, was outsourced to illicit sub-contractors during 2015-2017. And I am willing to testify to this under oath,” Shi told The Epoch Times.
FAA Investigation
Shi’s discovery of the outsourcing was confirmed by an FAA investigation conducted in September 2016. According to an FAA memorandum, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, two allegations made by Shi were found “substantiated”:- “Moog’s supplier NHJ outsourced Moog machined parts to an unknown supplier.
- “Shenhai, a NHJ subcontractor, did not properly bake parts both before and after the cadmium plating process, and forged the production process card. The improperly baked parts consisted of four different part numbers.”
March 27 2019 news article
Of greatest concern to Shi is that many NHJ parts are “safety sensitive,” and one is “safety critical.”
One part (Part number: P665A0039–02) is the blocking or mounting lug of the Boeing 737’s spoiler. This is a “Single Point Of Failure (SPOF)” part; if this part fails, the entire system will fail, which may cause a fatal accident.
According to a purchase list provided by Shi, Moog has bought 6986 SPOF parts from NHJ during 2015-2017. Shi said these parts can be used to equip more than 600 aircraft, as each 737 uses 10 pieces.
Shi said Moog is the exclusive supplier for all models of the Boeing 737, including the Max planes, and NHJ is the only supplier for this SPOF part for the 737 spoiler. His conservative estimate is that 500 Boeing planes may have been compromised, and are still in service.
One part (Part number: P665A0039–02) is the blocking or mounting lug of the Boeing 737’s spoiler. This is a “Single Point Of Failure (SPOF)” part; if this part fails, the entire system will fail, which may cause a fatal accident.
According to a purchase list provided by Shi, Moog has bought 6986 SPOF parts from NHJ during 2015-2017. Shi said these parts can be used to equip more than 600 aircraft, as each 737 uses 10 pieces.
Shi said Moog is the exclusive supplier for all models of the Boeing 737, including the Max planes, and NHJ is the only supplier for this SPOF part for the 737 spoiler. His conservative estimate is that 500 Boeing planes may have been compromised, and are still in service.
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: 60 north
Age: 59
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Replacement time?
Could any Engineer give us an estimated time in man hrs for such a replacement.
I have unfortunately no interaction with the heavy maintenance as the 738 just keeps on ticking during normal ops.
During Bird strike Inspection I have inspected the Slat Tracks and Flaps fully extended and I doubt that the replacement takes less then say two days.
Anyone?
Regards
Cpt B
I have unfortunately no interaction with the heavy maintenance as the 738 just keeps on ticking during normal ops.
During Bird strike Inspection I have inspected the Slat Tracks and Flaps fully extended and I doubt that the replacement takes less then say two days.
Anyone?
Regards
Cpt B