Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems reported misdrilled holes in the fuselages of 50 undelivered 737 jets.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said in a letter to Boeing employees, reported by Reuters on Monday, that there were no immediate safety concerns and that the 737 series can continue to operate while the 50 jets get repaired.
“This past Thursday, a supplier notified us of a non-conformance in some 737 fuselages. I want to thank an employee at the supplier who flagged to his manager that two holes may not have been drilled exactly to our requirements,” Deal wrote to Boeing workers in the letter.
Spirit AeroSystems spokesman Joe Buccino said that someone from the quality control team found an “edge margin,” or spacing error, in holes drilled on a window frame in some of the aircraft, which did not adhere to engineering standards, industry sources told Reuters.
Deal said Boeing will experience “factory delays” this week at a 737 Renton plant near Seattle to fix the misaligned holes and will announce how long the repairs will take in the coming days, the outlet reported.
“While this issue could delay some near-term 737 deliveries, this is the only course of action given our commitment to deliver perfect airplanes every time,” Deal continued. “The days we are setting aside in the 737 program will allow time for our teams to complete the inspections and, if needed, perform the necessary rework.”
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This is Boeing’s latest 737 flaw since the Jan. 5 blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 departing from Portland, Oregon, that forced the pilot to make an emergency landing. Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all 737 Max 9 jets to conduct an investigation of the planes.
Reuters reported that investigators of the bolts on the Alaska Airlines door plug are expected to release an interim report this week.
