by KYW's David Madden
Work on refurbishing Chinook helicopters at the Boeing plant in Delaware County, Pa. remains on hold after problems were found Tuesday in two of the behemoth choppers on the production line (above).
One had a small washer out of place, the other’s wiring was badly damaged (see previous story).
Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), in whose district the Ridley plant is located, expects that an Army probe will take about two weeks to complete:
"There’s a low probability that this was not deliberate, however it’s not out of the question."
And, for his part, Sestak will rule nothing out -- including a possible link to terrorism -- until the probe is completed.
Once production resumes, Sestak says, there will be additional checks in place to protect the integrity of the work.
But he stresses that it was a post-production inspection done by Boeing that found the problem. The company brought it to the Army’s attention and everyone, including unionized workers at the plant, want answers.
On Wednesday, Boeing issued the following statement:
"The investigation of irregularities on the Boeing H-47 Chinook helicopter production line is continuing, Boeing has directed second and third shift employees on the primary and final production line not to report for work on Wednesday, May 14. This decision will affect about 60 employees, around 50 on the second and approximately10 on the third shift.
"Boeing Security and the Defense Contract Management Agency are working together to resolve the situation quickly, and Boeing hopes to resume normal operations as soon as possible. The systems Boeing has in place to ensure the quality and integrity of its products and manufacturing processes worked well. Boeing production employees found the irregularities in two Chinooks on the line and immediately notified management in accordance with standard procedures.
"Boeing will continue to follow these processes rigorously so that the company completes and delivers flawless aircraft to its customers."
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