Boeing 737 MAX Production Slowed Due To Problematic Part

Production on the 737 MAX series of planes has slowed down due to a faulty electrical junction box. At least three of the planes might have already been delivered with the problematic parts.

Executive Director of Boeing’s engineering union Ray Goforth confirmed the reporting by a Seattle television station. Since the plane has miles of electrical wiring it is not known which junction box is affected.

It is only known that it is a problem that needs to be fixed immediately, says aviation expert John Nance.

“If it is a generic situation with a number of these boxes being found to be less than they should then it has to be addressed, there’s no question about it,” said Nance.

Boeing said the problem is not as urgent as it seems.

In a statement, the company said: “Production continues in our 737 factory in Renton as our team builds and prepares airplanes for our customers. Our team identified a non-conforming component and are replacing those components on three delivered 737 MAX airplanes. Per our standard process, we will perform any necessary rework on airplanes in our production system to ensure they meet all requirements prior to delivery.”

Nance disagrees but said Boeing is doing the right thing if it has indeed slowed down or stopped production until the issue is resolved.

“We are seeing a new normal, this is what Boeing should be doing. Stopping the line occasionally because not everything is going to go 100 percent right, listening to their people with an astute ear and never trying to gloss something over,” said Nance.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it has 16 open enforcement cases against Boeing, more than triple the normal amount.

Boeing’s new CEO took over on Thursday.