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Boeing finds new problem with 787

Boeing has recorded its first orders of the year for the grounded 737 Max, but a new flaw has surfaced in another of its planes, compounding the company’s struggle to recover during a pandemic that has undercut demand for new jetliners.

Boeing said Tuesday it is inspecting part of the tail of the two-aisle 787 after finding that pieces were clamped together too tightly, which could lead to premature fatigue of a part called the horizontal stabilizer.

The company said it believes the problem affects 893 of the nearly 1,000 787s that have been built. Boeing expects the inspections of recently finished planes to affect the timing of 787 deliveries in the near term, spokesman Peter Pedraza said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the matter.

“It is too early to speculate about the nature or extent of any proposed Airworthiness Directives that might arise from the agency’s investigation,” said the spokesman, Lynn Lunsford, referring to potential safety orders that could be imposed on Boeing.

Boeing disclosed last month that it found two other manufacturing flaws in the 787, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner and is built largely of carbon composite materials. The company grounded eight planes because of those issues.

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