Boeing discovered from its field representatives in Japan that Yokohama-based Koito Industries had falsified records related to flammability testing of its aircraft passengers seats more than a year ago, but subsequent tests concluded that no safety “issues” existed, a Boeing spokesperson told AIN. “We started working with Koito last January [2009], and we thought this was being taken care of,” she said. Then, last summer, Boeing found that Koito had falsified records relating to structural testing, prompting the Chicago-based airframer to send a team of its own engineers to Koito’s facilities in Yokohama to oversee its testing activities. A team of 12 Boeing employees continues to supervise the testing and will do so indefinitely, said the spokesperson.
This month Japan’s transport ministry announced that Koito had falsified test results and made unauthorized changes to as many as 150,000 seats supplied to 32 international airlines. “Fraudulent acts were conducted across the organization,” Koito president Takashi Kakegawa admitted at a February 8 press conference.
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