Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ under New FAA Orders To Inspect Seats in Cockpit

The Federal Aviation Administration issued new orders on August 21 for the safety inspection of all seats in the cockpit of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, due to several failures in the mechanism that allows the adjustment of the seat position. Captains and crew have made about a dozen complaints. In March, 50 people were injured in an Australia-New Zealand flight, when a seat in the cockpit lurched forward, banged into the instrument panel and disconnected the autopilot system. This plane went into a power dive and lost 400 feet of altitude before the crew could gain control. The investigation centers around a simple protector over the adjustment switch which is sometimes either broken or missing, allowing the seat to move unexpectedly, according to an AP news report.The FAA inspection order affects 158 aircraft used inside the U.S. and is recommended in the fleet of 787s used outside the U.S. In a separate rule, the FAA is also requiring the inspection of an anti-ice system on the engines of the 787s.