US federal aviation body to convene expert board to review Boeing 787 guidance

The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it will convene a board of experts to review Boeing’s planned guidance to 787 Dreamliner operators to check flight deck switches after a sudden mid-air dive by a LATAM Airlines 787 plane left more than 50 people injured.

The Air Current, an aviation industry publication, reported on Wednesday that the movement of a flight deck seat is a key focus of the probe into Monday’s flight.

Boeing said earlier on Friday that it had taken the precautionary measure of reminding operators of a 2017 service bulletin detailing instructions for inspecting and maintaining flight deck seat switches.

“We are recommending operators perform an inspection at the next maintenance opportunity,” Boeing said.

But the FAA said it is convening a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) to review Boeing’s proposed Multi-Operator Message (MOM) in response to the LATAM Flight 800 incident before it can be issued.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of its MOM.

The FAA said the process will include reviewing the 2017 service bulletin related to the switches in the pilot seats and “will provide feedback to Boeing prior to issuance. The agency will continue to monitor the situation closely.”