FAA investigating titanium used by Boeing, Airbus
- Titanium was used for wings and fuselages
- Boeing says all of its planes in service are safe
- FAA is working to discover the scope of the issue
FILE – The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 13, 2021. China’s Ministry of Commerce announced sanctions against Boeing and two other defense companies Monday, May 20, 2024, for arms sales to Taiwan, on the day of Taiwan’s presidential inauguration. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
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(NewsNation) — The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday it is investigating the use of titanium for components in some Boeing and Airbus jets, as the material was possibly sold with false documentation verifying its authenticity.
The investigation was announced after a New York Times report Friday, which indicated that Spirit AeroSystems, which provides fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus and the FAA, used falsified documents.
In a statement provided to NewsNation, the FAA said it is currently investigating the scope of the issue, which was disclosed voluntarily by Boeing.
The aircraft manufacturer, which has had a series of safety issues already this year, self-reported that it had procured materials from a distributor who may have used falsified or incorrect documents.
Boeing said in a statement provided to NewsNation on Friday that the industry-wide issue “affects some shipments of titanium received by a limited set of suppliers.” Boeing said to ensure compliance, it is removing any impacted parts on airplanes prior to delivery.
The Boeing spokesperson added that the company buys the vast majority of its titanium directly and that the materials sold using fake documentation were limited to a very small number of parts. It also said that aircraft currently in service can continue to fly safely.
“Tests performed to date have indicated that the correct titanium alloy was used,” the Boeing statement said.
The New York Times reported that planes built between 2019 and 2023 had components that could have been tainted. Sources told the newspaper that the aircraft that could have been affected included Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner airliners, along with Airbus 220 jets.
The report indicated Spirit is trying to determine where the titanium came from and if it meets industry safety standards despite the falsified documentation that was used in the sale of the materials. The company is also attempting to determine whether the parts are structurally sound enough to hold up over the lifespan of the aircraft, the Times reported.
Airbus did not immediately respond to a reply for comment from NewsNation on Friday.
The probe into the titanium parts is the latest issue for Boeing, which in January experienced one of its planes having a door panel blow off one of its jets while in flight. In May, the manufacturer submitted a report to the FAA outlining specific safety measures it intended to address in light of several incidents that questioned the safety of Boeing aircraft.
The incidents involving the company led Boeing’s chief executive officer to resign in March.