A real cold shower and a testament to Boeing’s faded sheen. The US FAA condemns the company’s safety work – and rejects the application to proceed with the 777X aircraft. “They want better proof that the systems do not cause problems,” says flight expert Hans Kjäll.
The last few years have been trying for Boeing. The accidents with the 737 Max model not only exposed the company’s safety problems – it also showed serious shortcomings in how the cooperation with the US Civil Aviation Authority worked.
And that has meant that the Federal Aviation Administration under no circumstances wants to impose tariffs on the regulations when it is now time for Boeing to get the upcoming 777X closer to the market.
According to the Seattle Times The FAA rejected an application from Boeing to proceed to the next step in the approval process. In a letter, the authority stated that they considered that the number of planned test flights may not be enough – and that a type approval is realistically two years ahead. This means that the model will not fly commercially until around 2024 – ie four years later than planned.
In the letter from the FAA, there is a long list of points that are addressed, including how a plane during testing ended up in a situation with “non-commanded inclination”, ie that the plane increased / appeared without the pilot’s influence. Furthermore, the newspaper writes that the responsible official pointed out that critical flight systems to be used in the 777X do not meet the set requirements.
– It is of course serious that you have failed in the transition to a digital control system. Because in principle, the FAA says that there are shortcomings in the process as well as problems with software and to some extent also with hardware, says aviation expert Hans Kjäll to Ny Teknik.
Unusually long delay
According to Hans Kjäll, the problem is serious and points out that the criticism that the FAA has is not something that can be waved away.
– That a certification is delayed so much is quite unusual, you have established routines. But after the 737 Max accidents, you have had to get to the bottom of what these processes look like. The FAA shows with the letter that they want to be much more careful and that they want to review the entire cooperation and make sure to get new agreements in place.
The letter from the FAA describes the 777X as “not finished” and that “the technical data required for type approval has not reached the point where the design of the aircraft type is mature and can be expected to meet the regulatory requirements”.
But what does this mean? Is the company stressed to get their new model out quickly – or are they just careless?
– It is a legitimate question. It is suspected that in previous certifications there have been too many shortcuts to save time and money. Then came the two accidents with 737 Max – and then it’s stop now. This will cost a lot of money and financially it is a crisis that is not entirely easy for Boeing to get out of. But I think it is a good decision and shows that you are careful in the process. The entire aviation industry is looking at this and it will make an impression and affect future certification, says Hans Kjäll.
Hans Kjäll, flight safety expert, Nordic Safety Analysis Group. Photo: Henrik Witt / TT
The 777X would be in commercial traffic by 2020
From Boeing’s point of view, the rejection is a real puncture of the project. The 777X was launched at the Dubai Air Show in 2013 – and the goal was that it would be out in commercial traffic by 2020 as a replacement for the 747 and the competitor Airbus A380.
As a small consolation, the delay comes at a time when the pandemic has effectively cut holes in the demand for new giant models for long-haul flights – and it will probably take time before the airlines are ready to invest in new ones.
So far, the American company has built a handful of test plans – as well as nearly 20 intended for customers. But the latter are some who, according to Hans Kjäll, will be standing for a long time.
– Of course it is so and if you stop production and that these remain, it is a big financial break – they are worth a billion kroner each. Then it is also difficult to keep staff in the production stage.
But even if the type approval of the 777X is postponed, with the negative effects it has for Boeing, Hans Kjäll believes that it does not endanger the company as such.
– Boeing has other operations and several other models as well as projects to spread risks on. So something like this, even if it is serious and takes years to come over, does not punch a hole in the company’s future possibilities – but the question is how much it affects, says Hans Kjäll.
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