The Feds Wants to Know How Fake Titanium Got in Boeing’s Planes

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened yet another investigation into Boeing, this one centered around concerns that counterfeit titanium may have been installed in some of the aviation giant’s planes.

Boeing reportedly admitted to the federal agency that some components in their planes were sold to their supplier using fake documentation that attested to the authenticity of the metal, according to the New York Times Friday. Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies a number of critical components to Boeing, including fuselages, is also currently investigating the matter. The issue of the authenticity of the steel in the planes’ components raises potential “structural integrity” issues, the Times notes. The newspaper breaks down the potential extent of the problem thusly:

The planes that included components made with the material were built between 2019 and 2023, among them some Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner airliners as well as Airbus A220 jets, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It is not clear how many of those planes are in service or which airlines own them…

…The titanium in question has been used in a variety of aircraft parts, according to Spirit officials. For the 787 Dreamliner, that includes the passenger entry door, cargo doors and a component that connects the engines to the plane’s airframe. For the 737 Max and the A220, the affected parts include a heat shield that protects a component, which connects a jet’s engine to the frame, from extreme heat.

Boeing isn’t the only company that is afflicted with the problem. The Times reports that European airplane maker Airbus is also dealing with the issue.

Gizmodo reached out to Boeing and the FAA for comment and will update this story if they respond.

In a statement shared with the Times, the FAA says that the airplane maker had made a “voluntary disclosure” that involved the “procurement of material through a distributor who may have falsified or provided incorrect records. Boeing issued a bulletin outlining ways suppliers should remain alert to the potential of falsified records.”

“This industrywide issue affects some shipments of titanium received by a limited set of suppliers, and tests performed to date have indicated that the correct titanium alloy was used,” Boeing told the newspaper. “To ensure compliance, we are removing any affected parts on airplanes prior to delivery. Our analysis shows the in-service fleet can continue to fly safely.”

This issue goes onto the growing list of Boeing’s problems. The company is under investigation by a slew of federal agencies and has been the subject of a cascade of whistleblower complaints, as well as a Congressional hearing. Much of the trouble for the company began in January when an Alaska Airlines flight involving a Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a part of its fuselage mid-flight. Since then, increased scrutiny on the plane maker’s production standards has spurred concerns that the company has sometimes prioritized profit over safety.