Boeing said it is pausing test flights of its still-in-development 777X fleet after technicians discovered a structural issue during a post-flight inspection.
“During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed. Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready,” Boeing told USA TODAY in a statement.
The issue and grounding decision was first reported by The Air Current.
According to Boeing the part was a structural component between the engine and the airplane itself. The company said it is inspecting the rest of the 777X test fleet for this condition and does not have other test flights planned in the near term.
Boeing also said the part is exclusively used on the 777-9, so the issue will not affect any planes currently in service.
Following The Air Current’s report, many aviation industry watchers pointed on on social media that this is part of the reason test flights are performed: to identify any possible issues before a plane type enters commercial service. While it’s a frustrating setback for Boeing’s alread-delayed 777X program, this is the system working as designed.
Boeing’s safety record has been under scrutiny recently thanks to a door failure on an in-service Alaska Airlines 737 Max in January. The company says it’s making changes to improve things.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boeing 777X test flights paused due to engine structural issue
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