A serious and potentially catastrophic flaw has been identified in nearly 300 Boeing 777 jets operated by major airlines, including United and American Airlines.
The fault, which has its roots in an electrical problem, puts the plane's fuel tanks at risk of catching fire and exploding, according to a recent Daily Mail investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted this concern in a March 25, 2024 notice, which indicated that an “electrostatic discharge” near the center fuel tanks could act as an ignition source, leading to a possible fire or explosion.
Boeing has been given a deadline of May 9 to address these issues, although their response is still pending. The proposed solution involves the installation of new electrical bonding and grounding measures around the air intake system near the center fuel tanks.
According to the FAA, this solution would cost less than $698,000 for all aircraft involved within the US, with individual parts costing just $0.0098 by plane.
The urgency of these repairs was underscored by recent testimony from whistleblower Sam Salehpour during Senate hearings. Salehpour accused Boeing of compromising safety standards and using unapproved techniques during the assembly of the 777 jets.
He described how workers used improper methods to align parts, sometimes resorting to physically jumping on components to fit them into place.
Daily email reported:
Less than two weeks after the May 9 order deadline, one 73-year-old was dead and 23 others were injured when lightning and electrical storms nearby led to 'sudden extreme turbulence' during Singapore Airlines flight aboard a 777.
That death and the FAA warning join controversies already roiling the aerospace giant and its “triple seven” planes – including Senate testimony of an accused whistleblower Boeing from taking shortcuts in building the 777.
the FAAs March 25, 2024 'airworthiness directive' to Boeing has raised new concerns about the 777 series planes, which are among the world's best-selling long-haul airliners and are the first commercial jets designed entirely by computer.
The Nitrogen Enriched Air Distribution System (NEADS), which the FAA says helps keep flammable oxygen away from the jet fuel, 'was installed without a designed electrical connection […] in the center wing tank.”
By order of the FAA, five models of the 'triple sevens' were recalled, including the Boeing 777F, 777–200, –200LR, –300 and the –300ER, the exact model involved in last year's fatal Singapore Airlines incident. Monday.
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