The FAA has proposed a new airworthiness directive to address a potential flaw in Boeing 777 jets that could lead to fuel tank fires and explosions, DailyMail.com has revealed. According to the FAA’s proposal, an electrical fault in the jets could, if unaddressed, cause the fuel tanks on the planes’ wings to catch fire.
The discovery of this flaw has raised concerns for nearly 300 more Boeing planes, including those operated by United and American Airlines, as highlighted in the FAA notice. The FAA reported the issue in March, requesting Boeing and other experts to respond by May 9. However, it remains unclear if Boeing has complied.
A Boeing spokesperson described the FAA’s notice as part of a “standard regulatory process that has helped ensure air travel is the safest form of transportation. This is not an immediate safety of flight issue.” The statement further assured that “there are multiple redundancies designed into modern commercial airplanes to ensure protection for electromagnetic effects. The 777 fleet has been operating for nearly 30 years and has safely flown more than 3.9 billion passengers.”
This is the latest in a series of safety warnings directed at Boeing by regulators. The company has faced issues such as door plug blowouts, mid-air engine fires, and two deadly crashes that killed 346 people. In this March 2024 airworthiness directive (AD) proposal, the FAA highlighted an “electrostatic discharge” risk near the center-wing fuel tanks, warning that “the unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank, and subsequent fire or explosion.”
Boeing’s representative emphasized that the FAA’s March 25, 2024 notice was a “proposed rulemaking,” seeking comments before any formal mandate. The FAA projected the safety fix would cost Boeing less than $698,000 to address the 292 vulnerable Boeing 777 aircraft in the US registry, with parts costing only $98 per aircraft. The fix involves new “electrical bonding” and “grounding” to prevent short-circuiting or “electrostatic discharge” around an air intake system near the 777’s center-wing fuel tanks.
The FAA based its proposal on its review of a public notice by Boeing, specifically the “Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 777–47A0007 RB, dated November 21, 2023.” However, the FAA issued its own proposal for a new directive, stating that “the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.”
This latest warning joins the ongoing controversies surrounding Boeing and its 777 aircraft, including Senate testimony from a whistleblower accusing the company of taking shortcuts during the construction of the 777. While Boeing’s market cap remains a hefty $113.53 billion, it seems the aviation giant can still be grounded by something as small as static electricity.