The Boeing 777X program suffered another setback last week. During a static test with pressurization of the cell, a loading door literally left its hinges, which could lead to a further delay in a project whose first date of inaugural flight had already been postponed due to problems previously encountered with the enormous General Electric engines GE9X.
Bad luck for Boeing. After the 737 MAX which keeps being stuck to the ground, it is now the 777X that returns to the front of the stage. And this, for the second time in less than two months.
The Seattle Times reported what happened at Everett, Washington, in Boeing's facility, during a so-called ultimate load test. The latter forces the wings of the aircraft to deform to 150 per cent of the maximum load that the wing would likely encounter in flight while the pressure is applied to the wing and fuselage coatings. It was during this static test that a cargo door literally left its hinges under extreme pressure.
This incident comes less than two months after the Seattle-based manufacturer confirmed that it had moved the 777X first flight slot early next year as a result of delays encountered with the turbofan engine GE9X due to a stator overhaul of the front part of the compressor, which had shown abnormal fatigue during testing.