Counterfeit titanium on Boeing and Airbus planes, a safety risk?
US aviation safety authorities are investigating whether there are risks after titanium with counterfeit authentication ended up on commercial jets from Boeing and Airbus. The metal is widely used in aircraft manufacturing
Boeing and Airbus may have used “counterfeit” titanium in the construction of their planes.
This is the fear of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the agency that regulates civil aviation in the United States. The American authority is investigating whether false or incorrect documents were used to verify the authenticity of titanium used in some recently manufactured Boeing jets, the agency said.
The New York Times , which first reported the matter on June 14, said the FAA is also investigating the authenticity of documents for titanium used in some Airbus jets.
According to the NYT report, jets delivered to airlines by both Airbus and Boeing contain titanium that appears to actually come from a Chinese company where an employee falsified details on the certificates.
So U.S. aviation safety regulators are investigating the scope and impact of the problem that began with titanium from China.
Meanwhile, both manufacturers said that planes in service containing the parts with that titanium were safe.
The story certainly still shakes the aerospace sector in reference to this metal, widely used in the production of aircraft. Titanium, which is used in essential aircraft parts (including engines), had already come under the spotlight in the aftermath of the Russian aggression on Ukraine because it was largely supplied by Russia . The escalation of tensions between Russia and the West has also created impacts on the aerospace supply chain.
All the details.
THE POSITION OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
The FAA said Boeing reported a willful disclosure “regarding the procurement of material through a distributor that may have falsified or provided incorrect records.” The agency added: “Boeing has issued a bulletin outlining ways in which suppliers should remain alert to the potential for falsified records.”
FALSIFIED TITANIUM ON BOEING AND AIRBUS COMMERCIAL JETS
As the Financial Times reconstructed, the companies purchased fuselages and wings from Spirit AeroSystems, the Kansas supplier that has struggled with quality problems over the past year. The metal originated in China, where documentation was allegedly falsified, before making its way through the global supply chain to be used in parts installed in jets made by the two competing plane makers.
THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED
Specifically, counterfeit titanium is contained in components used to make some Boeing and Airbus planes between 2019 and 2023, the Times reports. This includes some Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliners, as well as Airbus A220 jets, although it is unclear how many planes are in service or who operates them.
WHAT THE SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS SUPPLIER SUPPORTS
Among the main users of counterfeit titanium is Spirit AeroSystems.
“When we became aware of the problem, all suspect parts were quarantined and removed from Spirit production,” said Joe Buccino, a company spokesman. “More than 1,000 tests have been completed to confirm the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the affected material to ensure airworthiness,” he added.
BOEING'S POSITION
For its part, Boeing said the issue affects the broader industry and some titanium shipments received from a limited group of suppliers, affecting a small number of airplane parts. The US plane maker said it removed such parts from the planes before delivery and added that there was no impact on safety.
The metal tested shows that “the correct titanium alloy was used,” Boeing said, despite the documentation being falsified. However, the counterfeit titanium issue is the latest in a series of difficulties the US aerospace giant is facing following recent manufacturing and safety issues .
AND THAT OF AIRBUS
Meanwhile, Airbus said it was aware of the reports, but said it had carried out “numerous tests on parts from the same supply source. They demonstrate that the airworthiness of the A220 remains intact.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF TITANIUM FOR PLANES (AND THE QUESTION OF SANCTIONS)
Finally, as mentioned above, titanium is an important component in the aerospace supply chain, used to make landing gear, turbine blades and disks for aircraft.
Without forgetting that, even before the counterfeit certification affair, Airbus was pushing the West not to impose sanctions on Russian titanium sales.
The aerospace industry has relied heavily on Russian-made titanium. About 65% of Airbus' titanium supply comes from Russia, according to consultancy AlixPartners. In recent times both Airbus and Boeing had declared attempts to seek alternative supplies.
The EU has so far avoided banning Russian raw materials other than steel and coal, and titanium remains free from restrictions on trade with Russia. However, Canada recently imposed sanctions on Russian titanium, albeit with exceptions.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/titanio-contraffatto-sugli-aerei-di-boeing-e-airbus-rischio-sicurezza/ on Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:37:37 +0000.