WSJ: Another 787 issue

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Boeing had discovered an issue with composite delamination while installing the side of body fix on ZA001.

Now Boeing has responded that the issue has been resolved and that they ar still tracking first flight for around the end of the year.

So is this a real issue with the airplane or is it a tempest in tea pot?

In my opinion if the issue was as serious that the Wall Street Journal is making it out to be then Boeing wouldn't be closing up panels and reinstalling equipment on the airplane that had exhibited this delamination issue. Also as far as we know ZA001 is the only aircraft to have shown this delamination issue with the freeze plugs and is confined to a small area. Yet the Wall Street Journal went ahead and over-sensationalize the issue.

Now people are inevitably going to bring up the old refrain "Well how can we trust what Boeing says"

The answer well they didn't fly when they realize the side of body joint is a serious issue and if this delamination problem is a safety of flight issue then they won't fly but it truly does sound like this is a nothing issue.

Read on:

Wall Street Journal article

Randy's Blog: Takin' Care of Business

Bloomberg article