Summary Boeing has discovered an issue with the 777-9's engine mounts, potentially putting a stop to the flight certification campaign. The problem first appeared on a 777X, registered as N779XY, which had just completed a more than five hour flight in Hawaii. It remains to be seen whether this issue will affect the delivery date of the first 777X.
The Boeing 777X program has faced another setback after a post-flight inspection of one of the aircraft led to the discovery of a failed engine mount, pausing the certification campaign of the type. Affecting multiple 777Xs According to a report by The Air Current , Boeing was forced to suspend the flight certification of the 777X after the manufacturer’s technicians had discovered a severed thrust link on WH003, one of the testbeds of the type. The aircraft, registered as N779XY, had just completed a more than five-hour test flight in Hawaii.
Flightradar24 data showed that the 777X departed and arrived back at Kona International Airport (KOA) on August 15. Following the five-hour and 31-minute test flight, the aircraft has remained on the ground since August 15, the flight tracking site’s records indicated. The Air Current, citing people familiar with the matter, added that another two 777Xs were affected by the same issue, with cracks being found on the pair’s engine mounting structure.
In a statement to Simple Flying, a Boeing spokesperson said that its technicians identified a component that did not perform as designed, w.