The US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating falsified documents that were used to verify the authenticity of titanium used in some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus jets, the New York Times reported on Friday.
The documents are also being investigated by Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus, according to the report.
Titanium, an important component in the aerospace supply chain, is used to make landing gears, blades and turbine discs for aircraft.
The FAA is investigating the scope of the problem and trying to determine the short-and long-term safety implications to planes that were equipped with those parts, the Times reported, citing a statement from the regulator.
The investigation comes after a parts supplier found small holes in the material – used in manufacturing of jets – from corrosion, the report added.
Aircraft manufacturers are facing strong demand for new planes due to a surge in post-pandemic travel. However, supply chain issues and component shortages are limiting their ability to meet this demand.
Last year, jet engine manufacturer CFM International disclosed that thousands of its engine components might have been sold with falsified documentation by a British distributor.
The discovery had prompted airlines to change parts on a handful of planes.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said Friday he is launching a new congressional oversight inquiry into the FAA and Boeing after a January mid-air emergency involving a 737 MAX 9.
The probe is the latest in a series of investigations by lawmakers since the incident. Grassley, who first probed Boeing safety actions in the 1990s, said Boeing and the FAA “must explain how this happened and what is being done to ensure that it does not place the lives of Americans at risk again.” He asked the FAA and Boeing to answer a total of 38 questions “requesting records of safety procedures, regulatory requirements, corrective actions (and) whistleblower protections.”
