WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal safety regulators are demanding inspections of the cockpit seats in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after one of the jets went into a nosedive when the captain’s seat shot forward without warning, shutting down the plane’s autopilot system.
Boeing has also halted test flights of a new version of its 777 aircraft after a damaged structural part was discovered between the engine and the rest of the plane. The new model has not yet been approved by regulators.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced in an order scheduled for Wednesday that it will require operators of the 787 aircraft to inspect both pilot seats for missing or broken caps that cover a switch used to adjust the seats.
During a flight operated by Chilean airline Latam Airlines in March, the captain’s seat slid forward, hitting a switch that shut off the autopilot system. The plane, flying from Australia to New Zealand, plummeted rapidly by about 120 meters before the co-pilot regained control, according to a preliminary report from Chilean authorities. Several dozen passengers were injured, according to media reports.
A few days after the incident, Boeing recommended that airlines check the 787 cockpit seats for loose caps on the switches and explained how to turn off power to the motorized seats.
The FAA said it had received four additional reports from Boeing of unintended cockpit seat movements, one of them in June.
The FAA said its safety order would affect 158 aircraft registered in the United States.
Separately, the FAA has released a final rule requiring airlines to inspect the intakes around the ducts in the 787’s engine de-icing systems for signs of heat damage. The agency proposed the rule in February after reports of damage to “multiple” engine inlets caused by missing or “damaged” seals around the ducts.
Boeing had addressed the issue of admission in bulletins to airlines last year.
Meanwhile, Boeing suffered a setback in its efforts to gain FAA certification for the 777-9, a new long-range jetliner in its 777 line. The plane is expected to be most notable for its folding wingtips, which would allow the larger model to fit through airport gates designed for other 777s.
Boeing said Tuesday it had grounded flights after one of four test planes was found to have cracks in a part called a thrust link, which helps balance the load between the engines and the plane. The problem arose after a test flight to Hawaii.
“During scheduled maintenance, we discovered a component that was not performing as designed,” Boeing said in a statement. “Our team is replacing the part, gathering all of the knowledge we have about the component, and will resume flight testing when they are ready.”
Boeing said each 777-9 has four thrust links – two on each engine for redundancy. The company said the component is new for the 777-9 and is not used on existing 777s or other aircraft.
Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, said the company was keeping the FAA and airlines updated on the matter.
The issue with the component was first reported by The Air Current.
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