Fatal crashes, broken aircraft parts, fraud: the aircraft manufacturer Boeing can’t escape the negative headlines. The next problem is already waiting.
The US aviation authority is having the oxygen masks in over 2,600 Boeing aircraft checked because they can slip due to problems with the adhesive material. The error could affect the functionality of the technology, warned the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) in an order published on Monday. There have been several reports that the units with oxygen masks have shifted.
Older and newer versions of the Boeing 737 model are affected. The FAA is not yet able to estimate how many aircraft will have the defect and require rework. The oxygen generators and masks are installed above the seats.
Boeing has been under pressure for months
Boeing has been under particularly strong pressure to improve safety oversight in production since a fuselage fragment came loose from a brand-new 737-9 Max aircraft in the middle of a climb earlier this year. No one was injured. However, the seats next to the hole in the fuselage were also empty by a lucky coincidence.
Just on Monday, Boeing pleaded guilty to defrauding the US government in order to avoid a trial over two fatal crashes involving 737 Max aircraft. The accidents in October 2018 and March 2019 killed 346 people. Boeing avoided prosecution at the time by promising, among other things, to implement a compliance and ethics program. The company also paid a fine of $243.6 million. The Justice Department concluded in May that Boeing had violated the terms of the deal at the time.
According to court documents released late Sunday, Boeing will have to invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs after the guilty plea, among other things, and pay a further $243.6 million in fines. The agreement will not become effective until it is approved by the court in Texas where the case is pending.
Source: Stern
