A cargo door of the new Boeing 777X ‘flew off’ the fuselage in Boeing hangar during a test yesterday.
The incident happened during “high blow” test, a standard procedure required ahead of first flights.
- UPDATE Boeing announced it had suspended load testing of its new widebody 777X aircraft following the incident.
The fuselage was pressurized to the extremes during the test. The hangar was evacuated of all personnel due to this specific risk. However FAA inspectors attended the test when the cargo door flew off the fuselage.
This was supposed to be the final structural test of new before the first flight. However Boeing confirmed it has moved the target for first flight of the 777X to early next year following consultations with General Electric.
The new GE9X engines continues to suffer delays while the engine company redesigns a stator in the front part of the compressor that had shown more wear than anticipated during testing.
The Boeing 777X is the latest series of the long-range, wide-body, twin-engine Boeing 777 family from Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777X will feature new GE9X engines, new composite wings with folding wingtips, greater cabin width and seating capacity, and technologies from the Boeing 787.
