Boeing finds more issues on about 50 undelivered 737 MAX planes

A Boeing supplier has notified the embattled company that it has discovered mis-drilled holes on the fuselages of about 50 undelivered 737 MAX planes.

Boeing said Sunday that it will have to perform additional work on the planes after its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, found two mis-drilled holes on some of the fuselages.

The manufacturing problem could cause near-term delays in deliveries of the aircraft.

Industry sources told Reuters that an “edge margin,” or spacing problem, had been discovered in holes drilled on a window frame on some of the aircraft.

“This past Thursday, a supplier notified us of a non-conformance in some 737 fuselages,” Stand Deal, Boeing’s commercial chief, said in a letter to staff referring to Spirit AeroSystems.

“I want to thank an employee at the supplier who flagged to his manager that two holes may not have been drilled exactly to our requirements,” Deal wrote.

“While this potential condition is not an immediate flight safety issue and all 737s can continue operating safely, we currently believe we will have to perform rework on about 50 undelivered airplanes,” he added.

Spirit AeroSystems rep Joe Buccino told Reuters that a member of its quality control team discovered an issue that did not conform to the supplier’s engineering standards.

“We are in close communication with Boeing on this matter,” he told Reuters.

Boeing has been under fire from regulators and airlines since a door plug on an Alaska Airlines-owned 737 MAX 9 carrying 177 people lost a door plug in the skies over Oregon during a flight to California on Jan. 5, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.

The company said the mis-drilled holes would not impact safety and that existing 737s could keep flying.

Deal said Boeing plans to devote several “factory days” this week at its plant outside Seattle to work on the holes and complete additional work.

Such days allow workers to pause normal work and address specific tasks without shutting production, according to Reuters, which said the Federal Aviation Administration had no immediate comment.

Last month, the agency said it planned to increase its oversight over Boeing and begin an immediate audit of the company’s production and manufacturing.

With Post wires
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