An airline passenger in Britain was shocked when he looked out the window and saw gaffer tape on the wing of his plane. According to the New York Post, David Parker, 62, was on his way to Goa with his fiancée on February 5 when he noticed pieces of silver tape on the outside of a Boeing 787.
I, Parker, an experienced pilot, said: “I was very surprised to see a patchwork of gaffer tape all over the wing in mid-flight. Then it started to come off in mid-flight. I thought, what the heck? I “I've flown all over the world and never seen anything like it. I pointed it out to my wife – she just said, 'I wish you hadn't shown me that.'”
Boeing, which produces the 787 he flew, later clarified that the material was “speed tape.” The company assured that the tape is completely safe and will not compromise the structural integrity of the aircraft.
Some 787s have experienced paint adhesion problems. We understand the importance of a flawless appearance for our products and continue to work with our customers to address this. A new black topcoat that would be applied between the composite and the existing coating system is now available to 787 operators for in-service aircraft.
We are also in the process of certifying the new layer that must be applied to aircraft as part of the production process. recommended workarounds include using a temporary speed tape repair, local paint repair and touch-up, or stripping and repainting the aircraft. Speed tape is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved material for some temporary repairs,” a company spokesperson clarified.
Notably, the incident comes after a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft during a flight from Oregon to California last month. The plane operated by Alaska Airlines appeared to be missing four key bolts, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.