Boeing faces scrutiny as flaw in 777 model risks explosion
Earlier this year, a deadly flaw was detected in another batch of Boeing aeroplanes, reveals the "Daily Mail." The problem concerns the 777 model. As a result of the flaw, there could be a fire and explosion of the fuel tanks on the wings. The British tabloid states that the issue may affect nearly three hundred "iron birds."
At the beginning of this year, a serious defect was discovered in Boeing 777 aeroplanes, which could pose a deadly threat to travellers. The flaw is related to issues with the electrical system, which could lead to the ignition and explosion of fuel tanks on the wings of these aeroplanes.
This flaw could affect nearly 300 Boeing aeroplanes, including those United and American Airlines used. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the very concerning information in March and asked Boeing and other experts to respond by 9 May.
Up to 300 airplanes have a potential flaw: Boeing's statement
A Boeing spokesperson stated that the FAA is a "standard regulatory process that has helped ensure air travel is the safest form of transportation. This is not an immediate safety of flight issue." According to him, the issue does not immediately threaten flight safety.
There are multiple redundancies designed into modern commercial airplanes to ensure protection for electromagnetic effects. The 777 fleet has been operating for nearly 30 years, and has safely flown more than 3.9 billion passengers, added the Boeing representative.
Costs and solutions
The FAA recommends installing new bonding and grounding systems to prevent short circuits and electrostatic discharges near fuel tanks.
It is also estimated that fixing this issue will cost Boeing less than £570,000 for all 292 Boeing 777 airplanes registered in the U.S. The cost of parts needed to eliminate the explosion risk associated with electrostatic discharges will only be £80 per airplane.
Previous problems and warnings
The latest warning about the risk of discharges near wing fuel tanks comes from previous issues. Among them were door failures and engine fires. Notably, two plane crashes claimed a total of 346 lives.
The controversies surrounding Boeing were further fuelled by whistleblower Sam Salehpour's testimony, who accused the company of unsafe practices in building the 777 model during Senate hearings.
Salehpour, a former quality engineer at Boeing, claimed that workers used improper methods of assembling parts, leading to potentially dangerous situations. He also testified that he was transferred to the 777 programme as a form of reprisal for reporting internal safety issues.
I was ignored, I was told not to create delays, I was told, frankly, to shut up, said Salehpour during testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Mysterious death of a Boeing whistleblower
Recently, another Boeing expert made headlines. Joshua Dean, a well-known whistleblower who revealed issues with Boeing airplane production for many years, died at the age of 45. His actions brought attention to numerous irregularities in the production process. Dean is the second whistleblower from the company to die this year.
Currently, Boeing is going through a serious crisis, which is partly related to the revealed problems.
