Boeing Grounds 777-9 Test Fleet Due to Titanium Component Issues

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Boeing has temporarily grounded its 777-9 test fleet after routine maintenance inspections revealed that titanium structural components were not performing as expected. The Virginia-based aerospace giant announced that it would replace these parts, which serve as mounts between the aircraft’s engines and wing pylons, before resuming flight tests. However, the company did not disclose specific details regarding the nature or extent of the defects.

The affected component is unique to Boeing’s 777-9, the larger commercial variant of its twin-aisle 777X program. Powered by GE Aerospace’s advanced GE9X engines, each 777-9 has two of these parts per engine to ensure redundancy in the event of a failure.

The incident raises questions about whether this defect could further delay the 777-9’s certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After years of setbacks in obtaining type inspection authorization, the FAA began test flights in mid-July. Boeing has assured that the FAA is fully informed and that its customers are aware of the issue.

In a related development, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive this week affecting nearly 900 Boeing 787 Dreamliners worldwide. The directive requires inspections and potential modifications to the switch caps on cockpit seats, which can cause unintended continuous movement and pose risks to autopilot and other flight control functions. This action follows a March incident where a LATAM Airlines passenger jet experienced severe turbulence in flight, leading to a sudden descent and passenger injuries.

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