Boeing asked to undergo more safety checks, no certification for 777x just yet

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation regulator, has pushed the tentative date for certification of Boeing's 777x series back to "mid to late 2023", noting that two more years from now are needed for additional testing and safety checks.

Boeing may not be getting certification in the United States for its newest wide-body aircraft -- the 777x series -- just yet, news agencies reported on Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation regulator, has pushed the tentative date for certification back to "mid to late 2023", noting that two more years from now are needed for additional testing and safety checks. The American manufacturer of airplanes has faced heavy critique in recent years after the lengthy grounding of its infamous 737 MAX series following two fatal crashes.

Boeing employees and others celebrate as a Boeing 777X airplane returns to a hangar after its first test flight at the company's facility in Seattle, Washington, in the US on January 25, 2020. (REUTERS/Terray Sylvester/File Photo)

Boeing, it seems, can't escape the legal scrutiny that it has been subjected to following the unfortunate accidents, and neither is the FAA willing to let the company have a free pass -- both of them were hounded by the legislators at the Capitol Hill over the question of aviation safety.

The FAA has sent a letter to Boeing informing the aviation giant that the 777x jet requires a "root cause" investigation following an "uncommanded pitch" event on December 8, in which the airplane performed unexpectedly, news agency AFP reported. Ian Won, an acting manager in the FAA's aircraft certification service, said that Boeing is expected to undergo comprehensive validation, verification reviews and must also document the process improvements and the lessons learned. All of these measures will "realistically" push the expected timeframe of certification at least by two more years, he said.

Boeing's newest 777x series and the popular 737 Next Generation (NG) airplanes are both going to undergo reevaluation, with the later models having already finalised a set of three safety enhancements to prevent debris from escaping in case of a failure.

There have been several recent episodes in which debris broke loose from the engine inlets. A chunk of metal flew off a Southwest Airlines Co. engine over Pennsylvania on April 17, 2018, killing a woman who was seated where the metal hit a window. Following this incident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), had also recommended improvements in the engine designs on how to strengthen the smooth curved surface at the front of the engine that guides air into the turbine.

(With inputs from agencies)