The South Carolina plant that assembles the mid-fuselage of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner halted production for 24 hours beginning Monday night after a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit found lax manufacturing procedures that could result in damage to the aircraft sections.
The production shutdown at the Global Aeronautica plant in Charleston, S.C., was ordered by plant management, which required all workers on three shifts to attend eight-hour training sessions on proper work procedures and policies.
The plant is a 50-50 joint venture between Boeing and its Italian 787 partner, Alenia Aeronautica, that assembles the center fuselage from pieces made in Italy and Japan. Boeing officially took over its half in June from another of the partners, Vought of Texas.
Global Aeronautica spokeswoman Lee Kurtz said the training began at 10 p.m. Monday and was expected to end 24 hours later. "Production halted during that time so that all of the work force can be fully focused on these issues," she said.
The chief focus of the training was proper procedures to avoid foreign object debris, or FOD. That's a standard term in the aircraft industry for material inadvertently left on a partially built airplane that could later damage the structure either by contaminating it or by rattling around loose.
Something as small as a stray bolt could potentially knock out a crucial wire or hydraulic line. To avoid such dangers, airplane mechanics meticulously follow careful preset procedures. |
