Hot on the heels of a report alleging debris left behind in Boeing 737 MAX fuel tanks, doubts have been cast on the quality of electrical wiring installed in the grounded aircraft type.
The MAX has been grounded around the world since last March following two fatal accidents.
Last week, a report in the Seattle Times said that debris, left behind by mechanics, had been discovered inside the wing fuel tanks of several undelivered 737 MAXs. See: More problems for Boeing 737 MAX over ‘debris in fuel tanks’
Now, the same newspaper has reported that during the original design and certification of Boeing’s 737 MAX, company engineers “didn’t notice that the electrical wiring doesn’t meet federal aviation regulations for safe wire separation”.
The report claims that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) failed to detect Boeing’s error.
According to the report, the wiring vulnerability creates the “theoretical potential” for an electrical short-circuit to move the jet’s horizontal tail uncommanded by the pilot.
The paper says such an eventuality could be catastrophic, leading to a flight control emergency “similar to the one that brought down two MAX jets, causing 346 deaths and the grounding of the aircraft”.
While the report acknowledges that the risk is extremely remote, the possibility presents yet another challenge for the beleaguered MAX, which faces enough problems already. The ball is now in the FAA’s court. If the Seattle Times allegations are correct, what will America’s aviation regulatory body do to fix the issue – tell Boeing to replace the wiring?
Written by Peter Needham
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