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Revealed: 300 Boeing Planes used by United and American Airlines have potential flaw that could cause 'fire or explosion' on jets, according to FAA
The FAA proposed a new airworthiness directive earlier this year to address a potential flaw in Boeing jets, DailyMail.com can reveal.
According to the FAA proposal, the issue involved an electrical fault on the company's 777 jets that, if left unaddressed, could cause fuel tanks on the planes' wings to catch fire and explode.
Discovery of the flaw exposes that nearly 300 more Boeing planes are potentially at risk, including jets used by United and American Airlines, according to the notice by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA reported the issue in March and requested that Boeing and other outside experts respond by May 9, but it remains unclear if the company has done so.
A Boeing spokesperson said in a statement that the FAA's notice was part of 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.'
'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,' the statement continued.
It is just the latest major safety warning to be directed at the scandal-hit company by regulators — as multiple models of Boeing passenger jets have face door plug blowouts, mid-air engine fires, and two deadly crashes which killed 346 people.
This little seen FAA 'airworthiness directive' proposal has warned Boeing of an 'electrostatic discharge,' or static electricity risk, near the center-wing fuel tanks on the 777, which the FAA advised could result in 'an ignition source inside the fuel tank and subsequent fire or explosion'
In this March 2024 airworthiness directive (AD) proposal, the FAA warned Boeing of an 'electrostatic discharge,' or static electricity risk, near the center-wing fuel tanks.
'The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank,' the FAA said, 'and subsequent fire or explosion.'
Earlier, a representative for the company emphasized that the FAA's March 25, 2024 notice was for a 'proposed rulemaking,' seeking comment from Boeing and others before the federal agency would formally mandate any proposed fix to its 777 series of jets.
The FAA projected that the safety fix would cost Boeing — whose market cap is $113.53 billion as of this writing — less than $698,000 to correct for all of the 292 vulnerable Boeing 777 aircraft listed within the US registry.
And the parts required to remove these 'static electricity'-based explosion risks, according to the federal agency, would only cost $98 for each Boeing 777.
The FAA specifically requested that new 'electrical bonding' and 'grounding' be installed to prevent short circuiting or 'electrostatic discharge' around an air intake system near the 777's center-wing fuel tanks.
The federal agency had based its proposal for this critical fix on its own review of a public notice by the aircraft maker, technically known as 'Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 777–47A0007 RB, dated November 21, 2023.'
But, per the FAA's March 2024 notice, the agency issued its own proposal for a new directive because 'the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.'
Ultimately, the FAA's March safety directive proposal said it could call for the firm to revise its 'maintenance or inspection program' for five models of the 777.
The FAA warning join controversies already swirling the aerospace giant and its 'triple seven' aircrafts — including Senate testimony by a whistleblower who has accused Boeing of taking shortcuts when building the 777.
That Flight SQ321 death and the FAA warning join controversies already swirling the aerospace giant and its 'triple seven' aircrafts — including Senate testimony by Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour (above) who has accused Boeing of taking shortcuts when building the 777
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound earlier this year
'Despite what Boeing officials state publicly, there is no safety culture at Boeing,' whistleblower Sam Salehpour told the US Senate during open hearings last month.
'I observed Boeing workers using improper and untested methods to align parts in the 777,' Salehpour, once a quality engineer at Boeing, told Senate investigators.
'In one instance even jumping on pieces of the airplane to get them to align,' he said.
Salehpour testified that he had been 'involuntarily transferred to the 777 program 'in retaliation' for his internal whistleblower activity, sounding the alarm over several, even graver risks posed by the company's 787 Dreamliner jets.
'I was ignored, I was told not to create delays, I was told, frankly, to shut up,' Salehpour told the Senate's homeland security subcommittee on investigations.
Flaws with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and its 777 series rose in public awareness after dire incidents occurred involving Boeing's 737 Max, including a Boeing 737 Max 9 flight in which a cabin pressure emergency ripped clothes off of passengers.
But the FAA's March 25, 2024 'airworthiness directive' proposal to Boeing has raised new concerns about the 777 series of aircraft — which are among the bestselling long haul aircraft in the world and the first commercial jets designed entirely by computer.
The nitrogen enriched air distribution system (NEADS), which helps keep combustible oxygen away from the plane's jet fuel, according to the FAA, 'was installed without a designed electrical bond [...] in the center wing tank.'
'This proposed AD [airworthiness directive] would require installing electrical bonding and grounding,' the agency wrote of the $98 worth of parts, 'installing the cover plate assembly with new fasteners.'
The FAA has not yet responded to DailyMail.com's requests for updates on the AD.
On Monday night, it was reported that firefighters currently picketing Boeing may be on the verge of resolving their dispute with the aviation giant.
KOMO said the 125 firefighters who've been locked out of the firm since May 4 are considering an offer that would have increased average take-home pay to $112,000, up from $91,000 last year.
Firefighters who are striking say Boeing's current structure for progression is too slow. The workers, who are called out to deal with accidents at Boeing's manufacturing plants, say the aviation giant should put safety before profits.
Five models of the 'triple sevens' were called out by the FAA's proposed directive this March, including the Boeing 777F, 777–200, –200LR, –300, and the –300ER.
Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321's fatal 'turbulence' incident this Monday involved proximity to tropical thunderstorms, and was unrelated to the airworthiness directive concerns.
The Boeing 777 plane operated by Singapore Airlines left London's Heathrow airport on Monday evening at 10:17pm local time with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board, before the fatal 'turbulence' event.
'It built up, like a feeling of going up a roller coaster, up the crest, and suddenly dropping very dramatically,' passenger Dzafran Azmir told the New York Times.
Dzafran, a 28-year-old university student, said that he personally witnessed two other passengers tending to bloody gashes on their heads following the incident.
Another passenger described feeling like 'all hell broke loose' as he watched 'iPads and iPhones and cushions and blankets and cutlery and plates and cups flying through the air and crashing into the ceiling.'
The Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER was diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, where it made an emergency landing at 3:45pm on Tuesday.
Air safety investigators were dispatched to study the plane at the airport in Thailand.
Goh Choon Phong, the CEO of Singapore Airlines, made a front-facing apology after Monday's tragedy, explaining what is currently understood about the causes of the 'extreme turbulence' incident in a video posted to the company's Facebook page.
'We are deeply saddened by this incident,' Phong said. 'On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.'
Full timeline of Boeing problems in 2024
January 5
On January 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 - a Boeing 737 Max 9 - lost a door plug at 16,000 feet on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California.
That part is designed to replace an unneeded emergency exit door, and it blew out within just 20 minutes of takeoff.
An emergency landing was required and the plane landed safely, but a teddy bear, two mobile phones, a child's t-shirt were all said to have have flown out during the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 of the 737 Max 9s in the aftermath and six of the flight's passengers went on to sue the airline.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines also went on to find loose parts on their grounded jets' door plugs.
On January 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 - a Boeing 737 Max 9 - lost a door plug at 16,000 feet on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California
The missing door panel was found in a high school physics teacher's back yard
January 16
An anonymous whistleblower broke rank to say that the door plug blowout 'was Boeing's fault', rather than its supplier Spirit AeroSystems.
First reported by The Seattle Times, they claimed the fuselage panel was removed for repair then reinstalled improperly at its Washington factory
'The reason the door blew off is stated in black and white in Boeings own records,' they wrote on aviation site Leeham News.
'It is also very, very stupid and speaks volumes about the quality culture at certain portions of the business.'
February 6
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report said that the January 5 incident was down to four crucial bolds being missing from the panel which blew out.
February 21
Boeing's 737 Max program chief, Ed Clark, was reportedly fired in a structural shakeup at the company.
Clark was also general manager at the company's Renton, Washington, facility and had been at Boeing for 18 years.
He was replaced by Katie Ringgold, while a 'senior vice president of quality' role was created too.
March 3
A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 veered off the runway after landing in Houston due to some sort of gear collapse.
Shocking footage showed the plane lying flat on its wings on grass by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder.
A Boeing 737 Max operated by United Airlines veered off the tarmac into the grass when exiting the runway at George Bush Airport in Houston early Friday
March 4
An audit by the FAA of both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems 'found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements'.
March 6
The head of the NTSB accused Boeing of 'not cooperating' with its investigation into the January incident.
Jennifer Homendy said investigators sought the names of the 25 people who work on door plugs at the Renton facility, but had not received them from Boeing.
She told a Senate Committee hearing 'it is absurd that two months later we don't have it'.
However, Boeing spokesperson Connor Greenwood pushed back and insisted that names of employees were provided 'early in the investigation'.
The same day, a 737's engine caught fire in mid-air above Texas, causing an emergency landing minutes into its journey to Fort Myers, Florida.
March 7
A wheel fell off a Boeing 777-200 shortly after takeoff from San Francisco, crushing cars below.
The plane with 235 passengers and 14 crew diverted to Los Angeles Airport after it was alerted to the landing gear failure and landed safely with no further incident and no injuries reported on the ground.
March 9
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, 62 - a former quality control manager and employee of 32 years - was found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel days after testifying against the company in a lawsuit.
The coroner put it down to a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound in the head, though the police confirmed that they would investigate further.
Barnett had made a string of complaints to his higher-ups in his time as a quality control manager before leaving the company on health grounds in 2017.
In January 2024, he appeared on TMZ to say that the 737 Max 9 aircraft were being launched back into the air too soon in the wake of the accident, suggesting corners had been cut.
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel days after testifying against his former employer
March 11
A Boeing 777 was was forced to land due to hydraulic fluid spewing from its landing gear area.
The forced landing happened as the San Francisco-bound 777-300 embarked from Sydney, with fluid filmed leaking from its undercarriage.
March 15
A United Airlines 737 was grounded after it was found to be missing a panel after it touched down successfully in Medford Airport, Oregon, despite the missing part.
March 20
A Boeing 737 900 bound for Atlanta was forced to turn back and make an emergency landing after an engine blow out on take-off from Aruba.
The Delta flight circled the Caribbean island four times before coming back into land following the 'mechanical issue'.
March 29
United Airlines flight 990 - a Boeing 777-200 - from San Francisco to Paris had to touch down early in Denver after engine problems.
April 4
Alaska Airlines announced that they had received $160 million in compensation from Boeing after their 737 Max 9s were grounded following the January 5 door blowout.
The amount was equal to the revenue lost according to a filing from the airline, but Alaska added that it anticipated receiving extra compensation too.
April 10
Another whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, came forward in a Senate committee hearing to accuse Boeing of taking shortcuts when building its 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets and added that the company had retaliated against him when he raised concerns.
He doubled down on the claims a week later, adding on NBC that 787s should be grounded fearing 'fatal flaws' which could case them to fall apart mid-air.
In a 1,500 word statement, Boeing said it was 'fully confident' in the 787 and called concerns about structural integrity 'inaccurate.'
Pictured: Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testifies before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations on April 17
April 11
An internal Boeing review in response to an initial Wall Street Journal investigation found that CEO Dave Calhoun and other bosses at the aviation firm spent $500,000 on company private jets for personal trips which were improperly recorded as business travel.
Boeing's review concluded that some of the flights taken by executives in 2021 and 2022 'were not previously classified as perquisites by the company'.
In the company's proxy filing on April 5, Boeing said that these flights 'should have been classified as such in accordance with SEC rules and guidance'.
April 16
United Airlines indicated it will reduce reliance on Boeing after announcing a $124m loss in the first quarter of 2024, which it blamed on the scandal-laden manufacturer.
April 24
Boeing's CEO assured investors after a first-quarter loss of $355m was announced which coincided with a six per cent dip in share prices.
Calhoun added that he had a successor lined up for his departure at the end of 2024 who would come from inside the company.
April 26
Delta flight 520 was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport when an emergency slide fell off the Boeing 767 an hour into its journey to Los Angeles.
FAA records indicated that the plane was 33 years old.
April 30
Joshua Dean (pictured) died suddenly on April 30 aged 45 having raised the alarm about supposed defects in 737 Max jets
Dean was employed by Spirit AeroSystems based in Wichita, Kansas
A second whistleblower, Joshua Dean, died suddenly aged 45 having raised the alarm about supposed defects in 737 Max jets.
The former Spirit employee previously said he was fired from his quality auditing role for questioning standards at the supplier's plant in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2022.
His family said on social media that Dean died in hospital after a sudden illness.
Earlier in 2024, Dean spoke with NPR about being fired. 'I think they were sending out a message to anybody else. If you are too loud, we will silence you,' he said.
May 6
The US Federal Aviation Administration revealed it has opened an investigation into Boeing after the company reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes.
Boeing said its engineers have determined that misconduct did not create 'an immediate safety of flight issue'.
No planes have been taken out of service, but having to perform the test out of order on planes will slow the delivery of jets still being built at the final assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Boeing must also create a plan to address planes that are already flying, the FAA said.
Shocking footage showed the moment the plane attempted an emergency landing, smashing down into the runway and scraping its nose along the concrete
May 8
A FedEx Airlines Boeing cargo plane landed at Istanbul Airport without the front landing gear deployed and managed to stay on the runway, Turkey's transport ministry said, adding that there were no casualties.
The Boeing 767 aircraft, flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, informed the traffic control tower at Istanbul Airport that its landing gear failed to open and it landed with guidance from the tower, the ministry said in its statement.
Airport rescue and fire fighting teams made necessary preparations on the runway before landing, and no one was injured, the ministry also said, without giving a reason for the failure.
Footage showed sparks flying and smoke billowing as the front end of the plane scraped along the runway before being doused with firefighting foam.
May 9
A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737 plane's front tire burst upon landing at an airport in southern Turkey on Thursday, the Turkish transport minister said, adding there were no casualties and all 190 passengers and crew were evacuated.
The front landing gear strut was damaged on the Corendon Airlines plane, arriving from Cologne, Germany, as it landed at Alanya-Gazipasa airport in Antalya.
The same day, a Boeing passenger plane came off the runway during takeoff from Dakar international airport, injuring 11 people and shutting the hub for hours.
A Boeing 738 plane of Corendon Airlines that operated Cologne-Antalya flight gets stuck on runway due to a burst tire in Antalya, Turkiye on May 9, 2024
Pictures from the scene in Turkey showed the stationary aircraft on the tarmac flanked by emergency vehicles - its front wheels and landing gear crumpled underneath. Corendon Airlines denied Turkish reports that the aircraft had landed on its nose
In this grab taken from video people jump down emergency slides, running from a plane, in Dakar, Senegal, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. A Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people caught fire and skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 11 people
The Air Senegal flight was bound for the Malian capital Bamako and had 78 passengers on board, plus a crew of six including two pilots, airport management company LAS said in a statement.
Images showed the aircraft in an overgrown area with first aiders surrounding an injured person. Smoke and flames are also visible near the plane.
Also on May 9, the US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating statements made by Boeing Co. about its safety practices after a mid-air panel blowout on a 737 MAX flight in January.
The SEC will examine whether the planemaker or its executives misled investors in violation of the Wall Street regulator's rules, the report said, citing three people familiar with the development.
May 14
Boeing has violated a settlement that allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution after two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft more than five years ago, the Justice Department told a federal judge.
It is now up to the Justice Department (DOJ) to decide whether to file charges against Boeing. Prosecutors will tell the court no later than July 7 how they plan to proceed, the department said.
May 21
One person died and others were injured on a flight from London to Singapore which plummeted 6,000ft in five minutes before making an emergency landing in Thailand.
The Boeing 777 plane operated by Singapore Airlines left the UK's Heathrow airport on Monday evening at 22.17pm local time with 211 passengers and 18 crew on board.
However, flight SQ321 experienced severe turbulence while flying close to Myanmar airspace in a region being battered by extreme tropical thunderstorms.
Pictured: Passengers are seen in the cabin after the incident on Tuesday, with belongings strewn across the floor and oxygen masks dangling from above
Passengers are seen on the Singapore Airlines plane after it made an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday. Oxygen masks fell from the ceiling, as did other components
Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, (pictured) who ran the Thornbury Musical Theatre Group in Bristol, was on board the plane when the incident happened
After around 11 hours of flying time from take off in London, the aircraft sharply dropped from an altitude of around 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet within just five minutes as it finished traversing the Andaman Sea and neared Thailand.
Boeing said: 'We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them.
'We extend our deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew.'