More issues for Boeing with possible new safety concerns over 767, 757 planes

Boeing hit yet another stumbling block this week, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flagging potential safety problems with two of its planes.

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According to a report from the Seattle Times, the company’s 767 and 757 planes could have issues with the way pilot controls are laid out. The FAA believes the problem could have lead to the 2019 crash of an Amazon Air cargo plane that killed three pilots onboard.

Crash investigators say the plane’s pilot accidentally hit a switch that was too close to a handle he was holding.

The incident occurred in February 2019, when a Boeing 767 cargo plane crashed into a marsh near Trinity Bay, Texas. According to investigators, it’s likely that the pilot unintentionally hit a lever that forced the aircraft to accelerate suddenly and pitch the nose downward, despite his hand being placed in the correct position to access the speedbrake.

This comes on the heels of news that Boeing lost $109 million in the third quarter of 2021, largely driven by costly issues with its 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing pulls eight 787s with structural defects

According to the Associated Press, production flaws have prevented the company from delivering 787s for months now. Boeing also announced late last year that it planned to move its 787 production out of Everett to consolidate it in South Carolina. At the time, local leaders expressed concerns over how the move would effect the region’s economy, with one union labeling it “a mistake.”

Boeing has been struggling to get all of its previously grounded 737 MAX planes back into circulation as well. It currently has 19 MAX planes in production at its Renton plant, having set a goal to increase that to 31 a month.