Boeing found debris that could cause potential safety risks in the fuel tanks of “several” grounded 737 MAX aircraft in Seattle, an internal memo leaked to Reuters reveals.
Vice president Mark Jenks told employees the presence of material, thought to have been left behind by maintenance workers, was “absolutely unacceptable”.
The email, obtained by the international news agency on Wednesday, refers to ‘foreign object debris’, thought to include rags, tools and metal shavings.
Boeing is currently carrying out work and checks on hundreds of 737 MAX jetliners in Seattle that have been built but not delivered due to the worldwide ban imposed last year following two crashes that killed 346 people.
Jenks, listed as the company’s vice president and general manager of the 737 program, was forthright in his criticism, reportedly telling staff “one escape is too many”.
He added, “With your help and focus, we will eliminate FOD [foreign object debris] from our production system.”
Boeing has already confirmed the message’s authenticity, but maintained the developments won’t add further delays to the jets’ return to service.
The planemaker already has a backlog of 737 MAXs that are unable to be delivered because more than 40 countries have banned the aircraft.
Nations and territories imposing a ban include China, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, India, Oman, the European Union, Singapore and Canada.
