Boeing announced on Monday that it had suspended flight tests of its 777X after discovering structural damage to certainly one of the wide-body aircraft.
The company said it discovered the damage to the special part, which sits between the engine and the aircraft structure, during a scheduled maintenance check. It has since grounded the three other 777-9 aircraft in its test fleet. No further flight tests are planned for the opposite aircraft, Boeing said.
“Our team is replacing the part and capturing all lessons learned from the component and will resume flight testing when ready,” Boeing said in an announcement. The company said it has notified the Federal Aviation Administration and its customers who’ve ordered 481 777Xs, in keeping with the corporate's website.
It was not immediately clear whether the groundings and the difficulty would impact certification and delivery of the brand new wide-body aircraft, that are scheduled for 2025, about five years later than planned. Boeing began flight testing the aircraft with the FAA in July, a significant milestone.
The news, reported The press release, previously published by The Air Current, comes as Boeing executives, including recent CEO Kelly Ortberg, seek to guide the corporate out of a security crisis that began earlier this 12 months with a blown door stop.
image credit : www.cnbc.com