Debris found in grounded Boeing 737 MAX fuel tanks
Debris has been found in the fuel tanks of several new 737 MAX aircraft, creating a potential new safety issue for Boeing.
However, the manufacturer said in a statement that this wouldn’t cause a further delay to the grounded aircraft returning to service.
The head of Boeing’s 737 programme has described the discovery of the debris in the engines of the planes that were in storage awaiting delivery as ‘absolutely unacceptable’.
A company spokesman told the BBC that the ‘finding led to a robust internal investigation and immediate corrective actions in our production system’.
The revelation is the latest in a string of problems to hit the 737 MAX, which was grounded by regulators after two fatal accidents in early 2019.
The US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration told the BBC that it was monitoring Boeing’s response to the new issue.
"The FAA is aware that Boeing is conducting a voluntary inspection of undelivered aircraft for Foreign Object Debris (FOD) as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to ensure manufacturing quality.
"The agency increased its surveillance based on initial inspection reports and will take further action based on the findings," it said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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