Now both major
airplane manufacturers are under scrutiny.
The Federal
Aviation Administration is investigating whether documents were falsified
pertaining to the use of titanium in the manufacture of some airplanes by Boeing
and Airbus, the New York Times?reported.
Titanium is used to make
landing gear, blades and turbine discs for aircraft. Needless to say, it is a
critical component.
The
investigation comes in the wake of a parts supplier who reported a potential
problem in the manufacturing process, possibly from corrosion.
Previously,
a small manufacturer, CFM International,?disclosed?that
thousands of its engine components might have been sold with falsified
documentation by a British distributor. So clearly there is a precedent here
and the FAA is concerned.
Republican
Senator Chuck Grassley is now stepping up his probe of the January 5 incident
in which a door panel manufactured by Boeing blew off in Alaska Airlines jet in
midflight, saying Boeing and the FAA must explain how this happened and what
is being done to ensure that it does not place the lives of Americans at risk
again.?
He
asked 38 questions of Boeing and the FAA requesting records of safety
procedures, regulatory requirements, corrective actions (and) whistleblower
protections.
Boeing
is already under investigation from the FAA, the National Transportation Safety
Board and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
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