Boeing Co is reviewing a wiring issue that could potentially spark a short circuit on the 737 MAX causing the aircraft to crash.
An internal audit in December ordered up by the Federal Aviation Administration after two fatal flights has found that two wiring bundles, if placed too closely together, could short circuit leading to tail control problems on Boeing’s 737 MAX, and possibly lead to a crash if pilots don’t know how to respond correctly.
Boeing is still looking at whether the short circuit would actually happen in flight, and if so, would need to separate the wiring on about 800 MAX jets that already have been built.
Potential tail problems could result from placing two wiring bundles too closely together, says a new audit of Boeing’s 737 MAX
The wiring concern could lead to a crash if pilots don’t know how to respond correctly, says the US jet manufacturer
Boeing has had to ground its best-selling MAX since last year following two deadly crashes, impacting airlines like American, United and Southwest (pictured)
Such a fix would be relatively simple, Boeing says, reports the New York Times.
Boeing told DailyMail.com that it was ‘working closely with the FAA and other regulators on a robust and thorough certification process to ensure a safe and compliant design,’ of the aircraft, which was connected to two deadly crashes that grounded the jet around the world last year.
The spokesman confirmed to DailyMail.com that it had ‘identified this issue as part of that rigorous process’, and added ‘we are working with the FAA to perform the appropriate analysis’.
An FAA spokesperson also told DailyMail.com that the agency and Boeing are ‘analyzing certain findings from a recent review of the proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 MAX.
‘As part of its continuing oversight, the agency will ensure that all safety related issues identified during this process are addressed before the aircraft is approved for return to passenger service.’
The wiring issue could push back the return of the MAX into service.
American, United and Southwest airlines had to cancel flights for the holidays, including over Christmas and into the new year, because the FAA has not yet given safety approval to the MAX.
The model was grounded following two deadly crashes that happened only five months apart.
The first disaster happened in October 2018 in Indonesia, when a MAX flying as Lion Air flight JT 610 fell into the Java Sea 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta.
All 189 aboard the plane died, including 180 Indonesians, one Italian and one Indian.
The second crash occurred in March when Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, which also was a MAX jet, took off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital and crashed.
Shoes found during the search for victims from the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610 are collected at the Jakarta International Container Terminal in Jakarta on October 31, 2018
Indonesian first responders examine debris of the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610 in Jakarta
Investigators with the US National Transportation and Safety Board examine debris from Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 at the site of the crash
Investigators and recovery workers inspect a second engine recovered from a crater at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash
Reuters has reported previously the FAA is not likely to approve the plane until at least February.
Boeing, which has moved forward with factory-finished orders for its best-selling MAX, has had to keep the jets sitting on the ground awaiting delivery.
It now plans to halt production of the aircraft this month while awaiting the proper regulatory approvals, creating a ripple effect that is expected to impact suppliers across the country, as well as add to concerns President Donald Trump has expressed.
It doesn’t help that federal regulators have flagged the latest wiring concern as potentially ‘catastrophic.’
It is possible other protections like shielding, insulation and circuit breakers could prevent the short circuit, a company official said.
The company tells the Times that eve if it needs to fix the wiring issue, it would only take one or two hours per plane to separate the wiring bundles with an clamp.
Meanwhile, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg was sacked in December after repeatedly failing to contain the fallout from the crashes that tarnished its reputation with airlines and regulators.
FIRED: Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg was sacked in December after repeatedly failing to contain the fallout from the crashes that tarnished its reputation with airlines and regulators
The crisis has cost Boeing $9 billion, and has hurt suppliers and airlines like American, United and Southwest.
Delta, which has more than 900 aircraft, relies heavily on planes made by Boeing competitor Airbus, which it inherited after merging with the former Northwest Airlines.
Delta flew more than 5 million passengers over Thanksgiving, which was up 2.5 percent from 2018.
Ed Bastion, CEO of the world’s second largest airline by fleet size after American, said Delta never planned never ordered the MAX, ‘and we do not plan to.’
Separately, US and European regulators are expected to return to Iowa this week to review a software documentation audit of the MAX that was not completed last year, officials said Sunday, Reuters reports.
FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency are scheduled to meet in Seattle this week and then return to Rockwell Collins facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, next weekend to review the audit.
A worker looks up while underneath a Boeing 737 MAX jet in December at the Renton, Washington, plant where the Boeing jet is manufactured