Nearly 300 Boeing 777s Used By United & American Airlines At Risk For 'Exploding' Fuel Tanks
Overnight, DailyMail reported that yet another fleet of Boeing jets has a potentially disastrous flaw. The 777, commonly called the Triple Seven, has poor electrical insulation near its fuel tank that can cause "fire or explosion."
Back in March, the Federal Aviation Administration raised concerns about the 777's safety and set a deadline of May 9 for Boeing and third-party experts to respond. However, it's still unclear whether the company has taken any action, as reported by DailyMail.
"This condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank and subsequent fire or explosion," the Airworthiness Directives note states.
The FAA noted the safety fix includes "installing electrical bonding and grounding" to prevent short-circuiting "electrostatic discharge to the surrounding structure" around the air intake system near the 777's center-wing fuel tanks. The projected cost to fix the 292 vulnerable wide-body planes is around $700k.
777 are flown across the world. Many of these jets are commonly used by American and United Airlines. This was the same jet earlier this week that abruptly dropped 6,000 feet during a London to Singapore flight.
Last month, Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour told lawmakers on Capitol Hill about "serious concerns about the safety of the 787 and 777 aircraft."
Salehpour is one of the lucky whistleblowers still remarkably alive after more than a month from his statement on Capitol Hill. At that time, he told lawmakers about "premature fatigue failure" on these planes and warned Boeing was "putting out defective airplanes."
In each passing week, problems for Boeing are growing, from the 777 earlier this week that abruptly dropped to a 747's engine that erupted in a fireball last week to these recent mishaps:
- Boeing 767 Cargo Plane Crash-Landed In Turkey
- Boeing 737 Crashes After Failed Takeoff At African Airport
- United Airlines Boeing 737 Makes Emergency Return To Japanese Airport After Wing Flap "Irregularity"
In markets, Boeing shares have been battered in the last 5.5 years following the twin Max 737 crashes (separate crashes) that killed 346 people.
The optics for Boeing are terrible. This is why Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is preparing to step down at the end of the year.
