US aviation authority investigating Boeing 787 manufacturing flaws

The US aviation authority is investigating manufacturing flaws in the Boeing 787 after the company reported that certain plane parts did not conform to its production standards. Boeing determined that eight planes affected by the issue needed to be inspected and repaired before they could be returned to service. "We immediately contacted the airlines that operate the eight affected planes to notify them of the situation, and the airplanes have been temporarily removed from service until they can be repaired," the US aviation giant said Monday. "The rest of the in-service fleet has been determined to meet limit load capability, and we are inspecting production airplanes to ensure any issues are addressed prior to delivery," Boeing added. According to an internal FAA memo, the regulator could be looking at quality control errors that may have potentially lasted for 10 years. The investigation could lead to enhanced inspections of hundreds of planes, the WSJ reported Monday. "It is too early to speculate about the nature or extent of any proposed Airworthiness Directives that might arise from the agency's investigation," the FAA said. Boeing identified two issues with the manufacture of the join in a portion of the fuselage in some 787s that, "in combination, result in a condition that does not meet our design standards. "We notified the FAA and are conducting a thorough review into the root cause," Boeing said.<br/>