TapTechNews June 17. According to The New York Times, SpiritAeroSystems (TapTechNews note: Spirit AeroSystems, which provides fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus) said that the titanium parts on some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus aircraft were found to have falsified certification materials, and all suspected titanium has been removed from the company's supply chain.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is investigating the scope of the problem and attempting to determine the short-term and long-term safety impacts of the aircraft manufactured using these parts, and it is currently unclear how many aircraft have parts manufactured with this problematic material.
The report said that the affected aircraft include a portion of Boeing 737 Max, Boeing 787 and Airbus A220.
SpiritAeroSystems said that the relevant titanium materials have been used in various aircraft components, and it is determining whether the parts made from these materials are strong enough, and they are determining the most effective removal and replacement method to replace the affected parts.
Both Boeing and Airbus said that their tests of the affected materials have not shown any problems so far. Boeing said it directly purchases most of the titanium used for aircraft production, so most of the supply is not affected.
Boeing issued a statement: To ensure compliance, we are removing any affected parts on the aircraft before delivery. Our analysis shows that the fleet in service can continue to fly safely.
An Airbus spokesperson responded: The airworthiness of the A220 remains intact, and we have conducted extensive tests on parts from the same supply source.