By Lauren Rosenblatt, The Seattle Times
The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring inspections of dozens of Boeing 787 planes to check for cracks in the wings.
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The regulator issued a final airworthiness directive Wednesday, following a proposed rule in March, that requires some 787 operators to inspect certain structural components to ensure any cracks are caught and repaired. If left undetected, the cracks could grow and weaken the wing, the FAA said in a statement Wednesday.
The directive applies to 17 787s operating in the U.S. and 77 worldwide. There are more than 1,100 in Boeing’s global 787 fleet, the company said last year.
Boeing identified the concern during a 2019 investigation, which found some “shim gaps” exceeded the size allowed by Boeing’s engineering specifications.
A “shim gap” forms when mechanics are joining two parts of the aircraft together; the shim is the structure they use to fill that space before completing installation with fasteners. Boeing’s investigation also found high pull-up forces may cause fatigue cracks to form at the fastener holes, the FAA said in its directive.
The investigation focused on the lower side of body splice plates, near the wing skins.
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“This airworthiness directive is the next step in a process that began in 2019 when Boeing identified an outdated method for measuring shims,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. “The issue was corrected in production. Airplanes in the global fleet may continue normal operations.”
Boeing updated its guidance to 787 operators in August 2025 and has since worked with operators to update their inspection schedule, the spokesperson continued. “We support the FAA making the guidance mandatory with this airworthiness directive.”
Boeing has previously addressed concerns related to gaps in 787 structures, including paper-thin gaps in the aft pressure bulkhead that, left unaddressed, could create fatigue cracks that could weaken the plane, according to an FAA directive requiring inspections that was issued last year.
In 2024, a whistleblower alleged some gaps at major joins of the 787 fuselage exceeded engineering requirements. Boeing said the gaps pose no risk and its jets are safe.
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