Ex-Boeing staff claims electrical faults ‘concealed’
A US campaign group has accused Boeing of concealing information about electrical problems on a plane that later crashed.
The Foundation for Aviation Safety claimed the aircraft, which went down in Ethiopia in 2019, had suffered a number of issues, including an “uncommanded roll” at low altitude.
The organisation said more than 1,000 planes currently flying could potentially be at risk of electrical failures as a result of production problems.
The foundation’s claims relate to an aircraft which hit the ground minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa in March 2019.
The plane was a 737 Max, at the time a brand-new model. It was the second of its type to be lost, following a previous accident off Indonesia in late 2018.
A Boeing spokesperson said that following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident in 2019, it “fully cooperated and provided relevant information to the investigation”.
“We defer to the investigative agencies for further information,” they added.
Both crashes were primarily attributed to a poorly designed flight control system, which activated at the wrong time due to a sensor failure.
The foundation has published a number of documents on its website, which it says are build records for the aircraft involved in the Ethiopian accident, leaked by Boeing employees.
The documents, which are highly technical, set out problems encountered during the construction process.
The foundation claims they “paint a clear picture of the confusing and chaotic production operations going on at the 737 factory when this airplane was being manufactured.”
A US campaign group has accused Boeing of concealing information about electrical problems on a plane that later crashed.
The Foundation for Aviation Safety claimed the aircraft, which went down in Ethiopia in 2019, had suffered a number of issues, including an “uncommanded roll” at low altitude.
The organisation said more than 1,000 planes currently flying could potentially be at risk of electrical failures as a result of production problems.
The foundation’s claims relate to an aircraft which hit the ground minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa in March 2019.
The plane was a 737 Max, at the time a brand-new model. It was the second of its type to be lost, following a previous accident off Indonesia in late 2018.
A Boeing spokesperson said that following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident in 2019, it “fully cooperated and provided relevant information to the investigation”.
“We defer to the investigative agencies for further information,” they added.
Both crashes were primarily attributed to a poorly designed flight control system, which activated at the wrong time due to a sensor failure.
The foundation has published a number of documents on its website, which it says are build records for the aircraft involved in the Ethiopian accident, leaked by Boeing employees.
The documents, which are highly technical, set out problems encountered during the construction process.
The foundation claims they “paint a clear picture of the confusing and chaotic production operations going on at the 737 factory when this airplane was being manufactured.” (BBC News)
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