Jaime Green / The Wichita Eagle
Employees of Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kan., install systems in the cargo bay of a 787's forward fuselage. When Boeing launched the 787 program in 2003, it dismantled its unit that designed electronic controls for airplane systems and outsourced the work.
Boeing once had a division that designed electronic controls and managed suppliers of related components, but as the company geared up for the 787 it outsourced that work and weakened its control over crucial systems.
Dominic Gates has been the Seattle Times aerospace reporter since 2003. His stories can be found in our archive.
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