CHARLESTON- Italian authorities uncovered a major aerospace fraud after catching two men dumping chemical waste in Brindisi.
The 2020 incident led investigators to discover thousands of substandard aircraft components installed in nearly 500 Boeing 787 jets currently in service worldwide.
Photo: BoeingBoeing 787 Faulty Parts
Manufacturing Process Specification (MPS), a small Italian aerospace parts manufacturer, allegedly substituted cheaper, weaker metals for the specialized titanium and aluminum alloys required for critical Boeing 787 components. Company executives have denied these allegations, reported Reuters.
While Boeing maintains there is no immediate safety risk, U.S. regulators are developing technical guidance for airlines to identify and replace potentially compromised parts. Regulators have not issued emergency orders, which are typically reserved for urgent safety concerns.
The investigation began when police observed MPS workers disposing of chemical waste near their factory while conducting a separate bankruptcy probe. This discovery prompted authorities to examine the company’s material purchasing practices, revealing suspicious patterns.
Investigators, aided by whistleblowers, determined that MPS and its predecessor purchased minimal quantities of the prescribed aerospace-grade metals. Instead, they allegedly substituted standard titanium for the required specialized titanium alloy, significantly reducing both cost and structural integrity.
Prosecutors claim the fraudulent components entered Boeing’s supply chain through Italian aerospace manufacturer Leonardo, which produces two fuselage sections for the 787 at its Grottaglie facility. The alleged deception continued for four years before detection.
The case exposes critical weaknesses in the aerospace industry’s voluntary audit system, which failed to detect the substitution of substandard materials in components essential to aircraft structural integrity.
A preliminary hearing scheduled for Thursday will examine the evidence against MPS executives as the investigation continues to determine the full scope of potential safety implications.
Photo: BoeingParts Scandal
Boeing faces another quality control crisis as investigators reveal faulty titanium parts passed multiple certification audits. The MPS case highlights systemic weaknesses in aerospace supply chain oversight during a period when Boeing struggles to recover from separate safety issues that caused financial turmoil and workforce reductions.
MPS successfully passed audits by three different certification bodies between 2017 and 2021 despite using substandard metals in critical aircraft components. None of these audits included physical inspection of the floor fittings, which serve as structural elements in the aircraft.
While international media reported the metal substitution scandal in October 2021, details about MPS’s audit process and the total number of compromised floor fittings installed have remained unreported until now.
Reuters’ investigation examined confidential Italian police documents, prosecution files, judicial seizure decrees, and aerospace supplier database records. The news agency also interviewed four individuals with direct knowledge of the ongoing investigation.
Multiple experts interviewed by Reuters expressed concern that the case demonstrates fundamental flaws in the aerospace industry’s quality control systems. These experts questioned whether current oversight mechanisms, including third-party audits, adequately prevent substandard components from being installed in commercial aircraft.
“It is extremely worrying that there were no preventive checks on the type of material used to build these parts,” said Danilo Recine, vice-president of Italy’s ANPAC pilot union.
Photo: BoeingFAA Launches Inspection Plan
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of nearly 500 Boeing 787 jets potentially containing substandard floor fittings manufactured by Italian supplier MPS. The regulatory body issued a draft notice last year requiring airlines to identify and replace flawed components without grounding the aircraft fleet.
FAA officials stated the total number of affected aircraft remains unknown until inspections conclude. The agency declined further comment beyond noting the airline feedback period has ended.
Leonardo, the Italian aerospace manufacturer that incorporated MPS parts into Boeing fuselage sections, issued a statement confirming prosecutors consider it a victim in the case. Boeing, also granted victim status, declined specific comment on the investigation while asserting it maintains a “comprehensive quality management system” including supplier audits, supplemented by “additional audits by certification bodies, suppliers and others within the industry.”
MPS and its predecessor company Processi Speciali manufactured various aircraft components for Leonardo, including critical floor beam fittings connecting the cabin floor to the fuselage. Investigators determined MPS produced 539 substandard floor assemblies supplied through Leonardo’s manufacturing process.
Confidential prosecutorial documents reveal these defective components were installed in up to 477 aircraft currently in service, slightly exceeding the FAA’s estimated affected fleet. Aerospace experts testing the components on behalf of prosecutors concluded the inferior floor fittings could collapse during emergency landings.
The FAA acknowledged this worst-case scenario while noting such failure would require multiple adjacent components to fail simultaneously.
Italian prosecutors have charged MPS’s quality control manager, company owner, and three family members with fraud and violation of aviation safety regulations. Two additional employees face charges for environmental pollution.
Prosecutorial reports state the defendants “put flight security in danger by producing and delivering to Leonardo… structural aerospace parts made, not with contracted titanium alloy, but pure titanium – which has structural strength that is largely lower to that of the prescribed alloy.”
Investigators determined MPS or its predecessor company supplied approximately 6,000 parts manufactured with incorrect metals, though most were non-structural components.
Francesca Conte, attorney for MPS’s owner, defended her client by stating the supplier operated in partnership with Leonardo and obtained all required certifications, adding: “If there were any anomalies, they would have been immediately evident.” Legal representatives for all defendants maintain evidence to be presented during trial will exonerate their clients.
Photo: By Toshi Aoki – JP Spotters – Gallery page http://www.airliners.net/photo/All-Nippon-Airways/Boeing-787-8-Dreamliner/2221414/LPhoto http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/4/1/4/2221414.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27376402Aerospace Audit System Failed to Detect Fraud
Three separate auditing bodies certified MPS and its predecessor company despite their use of substandard metals in critical aircraft components. The Italian parts manufacturer successfully obtained ISO-based aerospace quality system approvals, with the most recent certification granted in May 2021.
Suppliers to major aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus must undergo rigorous quality management system audits under ISO aerospace standards. Companies performing specialized processes such as welding or electroplating require additional NADCAP certification from U.S. authorities.
Leonardo discovered the parts issue in late 2020 through information provided by Boeing. The Italian aerospace manufacturer explained that MPS underwent qualification processes to enter both Leonardo’s and Boeing’s supplier networks, followed by subsequent document-based verifications.
“Any fraudulent behavior cannot be detected by these checks,” Leonardo stated, acknowledging fundamental limitations in their supplier oversight process. The company has since implemented additional testing protocols for “significant components,” including chemical and physical characteristics analysis.
Law enforcement officials expressed disbelief at the absence of physical material inspections throughout the certification process. “The problem of faulty parts was found out in 2020,” an investigation source noted. “If quality controls had worked, then it would not have been discovered so late.”
Leonardo confirmed conducting audits independently and in collaboration with Boeing teams, but these inspections relied primarily on supplier-provided documentation rather than independent material verification.
Photo: By North Charleston from North Charleston, SC, United States – Boeing 787-10 rollout with President Trump, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56699425Quality Control System Faces Scrutiny
Private certification bodies verify aerospace firms’ processes, equipment, and workforce qualifications under the industry’s voluntary quality management oversight system. Physical material testing typically occurs only when companies seek certification for specific products rather than general quality management processes.
Christopher Paris, founder of Oxebridge Quality Resources consultancy, argues the MPS case demonstrates the need for stronger oversight throughout the entire certification hierarchy. “There is a need for a regulatory framework,” Paris stated, advocating for increased scrutiny of both independent auditors and the accreditation bodies that approve them.
Italian prosecutors have not targeted any auditors or industry organizations in their investigation. ACCREDIA, the Italian agency responsible for accrediting auditors, defended existing protocols as “robust and well-structured” while emphasizing that audits are not designed to detect criminal activity.
The Industry Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), which oversees the global system of voluntary controls, acknowledged the system’s limitations. IAQG President Eric Jefferies told Reuters the organization actively works to update existing standards but emphasized, “the outcomes of any quality management system implementation ultimately rest with the certified organization.”
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