Assembly Problems Halt 787 Flight Tests

[Jeff Hacker]

Boeing has stopped flight testing on the 787's due to finding improperly
installed parts in the tail. "This is not a design issue or a flight test
finding. It is a workmanship issue," says Scott Fancher of Boeing at a
Friday news conference. It is also not expected to cause any new delays in
the program because "wiggle room" was built into the last delays.

The problem apparently involves shims and fasteners which weren't installed
correctly by Alenia, the Italian manufacturer of the parts in question.

First deliveries are scheduled for late this year to Japan's ANA.

jeff
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[JF Mezei]

Post by Jeff Hacker
Boeing has stopped flight testing on the 787's due to finding improperly
installed parts in the tail.

This is what Boeing's response was on June 24th:

EVERETT, Wash., June 24, 2010 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] recently identified a
workmanship issue with the 787’s horizontal stabilizers. Some airplanes
have issues with improperly installed shims and the torque of associated
fasteners. This finding requires inspection of all airplanes and rework
if discrepancies are found.

An inspection and rework plan already is implemented for airplanes in
production. For those airplanes requiring rework, we expect it will take
up to eight days for each airplane. It is not unusual for these issues
to arise in the course of production programs – they are identified,
dispositioned and dealt with through our normal processes.

Reports that the fleet is “grounded” are incorrect. Boeing has made the
decision to inspect the horizontal stabilizers on all flight test
airplanes before their next flights to ensure any rework is completed as
quickly as possible. Inspections are expected to take one to two days.

We expect that this issue will be addressed within the existing program
schedule. The 787 remains on track for first delivery to ANA by the end
of this year.
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