Airline Passenger Spots 'Gaffer Tape' All Over Boeing 787 Wing On Flight From Manchester To Goa: "Never Seen Anything Like That"

In yet another setback for Boeing, a passenger on a flight from Manchester to Goa spotted gaffer tape on the wing of a Boeing 787, raising concerns about aircraft safety and maintenance practices. Despite reassurances from the company, the incident adds to a series of recent safety issues plaguing Boeing aircraft.

Saihaj Kaur Madan

Updated on: 8 February 2024 5:38 pm

Passenger Spots 'Gaffer Tape' All Over Boeing 787 Wing Photo: David Parker/SWNS

Boeing finds itself in yet another situation, with yet another problem arising for the embattled aircraft manufacturer. During a flight to India, a passenger from the UK became concerned upon noticing tape affixed to the exterior of a Boeing 787, according to the New York Post.

David Parker, 62, expressed astonishment at the incident, stating, “I’ve flown all around the world, but never seen anything like that before.” The event took place on February 5 while he was traveling from Manchester, UK, to Goa with his fiancé, as reported by South West News Service.

David Parker with his fiancé Photo: David Parker/SWNS

Everything seemed to be going smoothly until the real estate agent noticed a haphazard arrangement of silver adhesive on the plane's wings.

“It began peeling off mid-flight, I thought, ‘What the hell!?'” exclaimed the appalled Brit. “I pointed it out to my missus — she just said, ‘I wish you hadn’t shown me that.'”

Photos accompanying the incident reveal strips of tape, resembling something a child might use to mend a model airplane.

Tape On Boeing 787 Photo: David Parker/SWNS

Expressing astonishment, Parker said, “I was very surprised to see a patchwork of gaffer tape all over the wing halfway through the flight.”

Boeing has reassured the public that the adhesive observed on the airplane is "speed tape," which is deemed safe for aircraft use.

A spokesperson for the company clarified to SWNS, “Speed tape is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved material for some temporary fixes.”

They explained that in this instance, the tape was probably employed to address "paint adhesion" problems that have been affecting certain 787 aircraft.

As per the spokesperson, the adhesive substance is utilized to prevent paint from peeling, rather than being employed in a makeshift manner to hold together an unstable aircraft.

Tape On Boeing 787 Wing Photo: David PArker/SWNS

The representative acknowledged that while the material might appear unattractive, it serves as a temporary solution until they commence applying a new black topcoat layer to all their planes during production.

“The airplane’s structural integrity remains intact, and this has been determined to not be a safety of flight issue,” assured the representative.

Nevertheless, it's understandable that the sight of tape would raise concerns.

Boeing has faced ongoing safety issues, starting from January 5 when a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft during a flight from Oregon to California.

As reported by the National Transportation Safety Board, the aircraft, operated by Alaska Airlines, was found to be lacking four key bolts.

Photo evidence released on Tuesday revealed the absence of bolts from the door plug, which had been removed to address rivets damaged during the production process, according to the report.

A week later, another incident occurred when a Boeing aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Japan because of a crack found in the cockpit window.