Fleet of Boeing planes found to have fuel tank flaw that could cause explosion

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A fleet of Boeing airplanes has been found to have a potential electrical flaw near a fuel tank that aviation regulators fear could cause an explosion.

Boeing 777 liners are at risk of “electrostatic discharge” near its center-wing fuel tank, which could possibly cause it to catch fire and explode, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

“The accumulation of electrostatic charge in the cover plate assembly and the float valve assembly, which is attached to the cover plate assembly, could lead to electrostatic discharge to the surrounding structure,” according to a Airworthiness Directives rule posted by the FAA.

“This condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank and subsequent fire or explosion.”

The potential fault could affect nearly 300 Boeing 777 aircraft, the world’s largest twinjet, in the US. The plane is usually used by American and United Airlines.

The Independent has contacted the FAA and Boeing for comment.

To address the “unsafe condition”, the FAA has proposed that electrical bonding and grounding should be installed, as well as installing the cover plate assembly with new fasteners. The federal agency also proposes that existing maintenance or inspections should be revised to incorporate new airworthiness limitations.

Boeing said in a statement to The New York Post that this is “not an immediate safety of flight issue.”

“There are multiple redundancies designed into modern commercial airplanes to ensure protection for electromagnetic effects,” Boeing stated. “The 777 fleet has been operating for nearly 30 years and has safely flown more than 3.9 billion passengers.”

A statement from the FAA added: “The proposed AD, which the FAA issued in March 2024, would require installing electrical bonding and grounding to a component in the center fuel tank. It would make mandatory service actions that Boeing described in a November 2023 alert bulletin.” 

Some 292 US-registered planes would be affected by this proposal, with the estimated cost of electrical bond installation at $697,296 for US operators.

The proposal also states that revising the inspection programs of each plane would take an average of 90 work hours per operator.

Reports of the FAA proposal come after one man died and 20 passengers ended up in intensive care on Wednesday when a Singapore Airlines flight was hit by “severe extreme turbulence.”

Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, from the UK, died from a suspected heart attack while on board.

The incident happened 10 hours into the flight from London Heathrow to Singapore. The Boeing 777, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, dropped 6,000ft in about three minutes. The dive tossed people around the cabin, with some suffering head injuries from hitting the ceiling.

After regaining control, the captain diverted the plane to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where medical teams evaluated those aboard and sent more than 80 to hospital. A total of 58 people were still being treated on Thursday and 27 had been discharged.