Boeing and Airbus, the two largest commercial airline manufacturers, may have used titanium sold with false documents, according to evidence from a supplier that has triggered a Federal Aviation Administration investigation.
The FAA said in a statement to NBC News on Friday morning that it would look into claims by Spirit Aerosystems that the two aviation giants used titanium in their planes, accompanied by documentation verifying their authenticity, which could have been falsified.
The news adds to a turbulent period for Boeing, which is the subject of ongoing federal investigations into alleged safety problems. But the news also brings its fierce rival, France-based Airbus, into the broader scrutiny the aviation industry faces.
Wichita, Kansas-based Spirit Aerosystems, which raised the alarm on the titanium issue, said it moved quickly to remove all suspect titanium from the supply chain.
“This is titanium that entered the supply system through falsified documents. When this was identified, all suspicious parts were quarantined and removed from Spirit production,” the company said in a statement.
Spirit added that “more than 1,000 tests have been completed to confirm the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the affected material to ensure continued airworthiness.”
“Boeing reported a voluntary disclosure to the FAA regarding the acquisition of material through a distributor that may have falsified or provided incorrect records,” the FAA said in a statement confirming a further investigation into Boeing.
“Boeing has issued a bulletin outlining ways suppliers should remain alert to the potential for falsified records,” the statement added.
Airbus controls around 60% of the commercial airline market, with Boeing taking the remaining 40% – the companies’ control in the sector has been called duopoly.
Boeing said in an emailed statement: “This industry-wide issue affects some titanium shipments received by a limited set of suppliers, and testing to date has indicated that the correct titanium alloy was used.”
Boeing added that it was “removing any affected parts from the aircraft prior to delivery. Our analysis shows that the in-service fleet can continue to fly safely.”
Airbus released a statement saying the company “is aware of the situation.”
“Numerous tests were carried out on parts coming from the same supply source,” the statement said. “They show that the airworthiness (of the aircraft) remains intact. The safety and quality of our aircraft are our most important priorities and we are working closely with our supplier.
On Friday, the FAA said it was investigating how a Boeing 737 Max jet was caught in a so-called “Dutch roll” incident while flying from Phoenix to Oakland last month.
Boeing’s tumultuous year began when a door panel on a 737 Max-9 exploded mid-air in January.
The FAA is also investigating whether Boeing completed required inspections of its 787 Dreamliner jets.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
