Supplier's Part Out of Spec, Exceeding Tolerances in Horizontal Stabilizer Assembly

The Dreamliner will see delays once again after Boeing discovered another manufacturing SNAFU inside the 787's construction.

The company said that it was inspecting all 787s in inventory in search of "a nonconforming condition related to a fitting on the horizontal stabilizer. The inspections and required rework will affect the timing of near-term 787 deliveries."

The issue is just the latest in a long line of quality woes encountered in the 787's troubled manufacturing history. The novel, liberal use of next-gen materials and lightweight composites have taken Boeing on a bit of a learning journey throughout the Dreamliner's production run, and recent issues continue that burgeoning tradition. 

The affected part is a fitting that joins the horizontal stabilizer, sized incorrectly by a supplier. The pieces, when installed, were found to have created a gap greater than allowed in the blueprints, which are limited to a few thousandths of an inch on paper. Repairs will end up taking some time, along with going over Dreamliners in inventory to ensure nothing similar occurred with them, too. The horizontal stab issue is separate from a recent problem with the vertical one, uncovered in April. In that case, the issue was blamed on a 'nonstandard' procedure, and affected a handful of fittings that attached the tail to the fuselage. That fix alone has added months to Dreamliner delivery schedules, making customers wonder just how long they'll have to wait to get the next batch. 

FMI: www.boeing.com