Boeing continues to be haunted by new details about the potential issues that involved two tragic 737 Max crashes as a new report indicated that there could have been concerns of wiring problems in the troubled jet.
According to the New York Times, Boeing submitted an internal audit in December, upon the request of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As indicated in the audit, there were unreported concerns regarding wiring issues on the tail of the 737 Max.
Three people and a senior engineer with knowledge of the situation revealed that the wiring issue were among the most serious concerns raised since the company is now checking on whether two sets of critical wiring may trigger a short circuit if these wirings come too close to the other.
At the moment, the U.S. aviation giant is still gauging whether such a scenario could happen during a flight. It is also being discussed whether the wire bundles should be separated. If necessary, Boeing engineers would have to fix around 800 737 Max planes but the company said the patch up would be simple.
Some industry experts noted that aside from the 737 Max, the aircraft maker might need to look into the possibility of the problem being present on the 737 NG, which is the predecessor of the Max jets in question.
The new details on wiring concerns added to already rising fears about the jets' safety systems. Furthermore, the issue could further push back the potential recertification of the troubled planes sometime this year.
A Boeing spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, said that the company "identified these issues as part of that rigorous process," referring to the jetmaker's work with the FAA as it continues to seek recertification.
While there is no set timeline for the recertification of the jets, Business Insider reported that some government officials believe a certification test flight may take place sometime before January ends.
Boeing has reiterated that it is prioritizing the safety of all 737 Max jets before the planes are recertified for flight. As for potential design changes due to the new concerns on the aircraft, the company said it is too early to talk about an overhaul.
Last month, Boeing resigned CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who was the company head when the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes took place. David Calhoun starting January 13 will replace him.
The company already announced the temporary suspension of production on the troubled jets. The production suspension came after the provider gradually reduced its volume numbers over the past months since the plane was grounded in March.
