Aerospace company Boeing has hit back at a report that claims hundreds of its planes have an electrical flaw near the fuel tank that could cause a fire or explosion. Citing an Airworthiness Directives rule posted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the report said that Boeing’s 777 liners are at risk of “electrostatic discharge” near its center-wing fuel tank. “This condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank and subsequent fire or explosion,” the directives uploaded on FAA website noted.

It also said that the possibly deadly fault would affect nearly 300 of Boeing’s aircraft across the US: the 77-200, -200LR, -300, -300ER and 777F series jets.

But Boeing slammed the report, saying it “sensationalises” a routine regulatory process.

“It makes incorrect connections and sensationalises the standard regulatory process that has helped ensure air travel is the safest form of transportation,” Boeing said in a statement to The Independent. “This is not an immediate safety of flight issue. There are multiple redundancies designed into modern commercial airplanes to ensure protection for electromagnetic effects. The 777 fleet has been operating for nearly 30 years, and has safely flown more than 3.9 billion passengers.”

Major American operators that use Boeing 777 in their fleet are American and United Airlines.

The FAA too said that there was not an immediate safety risk to flights.

“The FAA bases its airworthiness directive timelines on the risk involved. If the agency determines something is an urgent issue, it requires immediate action,” a source in the agency The Independent.

“The proposed Boeing 777 airworthiness directive would give operators a certain amount of time to make the fixes that Boeing described in its November 2023 alert,” the source further said.

Boeing has been under scrutiny since a door panel on a 7373 Max 9 blew out mid-air in January, when the plane was over Oregon. The plane was operated by Alaska Airlines.

However, pilots were able to land safely, and there were no injury.

A chunk of ice fell from an airplane in the United States and killed a family’s pet goat, as per a report in Metro UK. The incident took place in Utah on May 6 around 9:30 am. Cassidy Lewis was at her home when she heard a loud bang that shook the entire house.

When she went outside, she saw her pet animals freaking out. She said, “Roosters were freaking out, the horses were going crazy.” The woman saw a sizable hole in the shed’s ceiling where she was keeping her goats. Upon further checks, she found an injured goat which was bleeding heavily. Further, there were bits of ice beneath the hole in the ground.

She continued, “It was at least a basketball-sized piece of ice, I would assume, especially because the size of the hole and how much ice there was on the ground.”

At first, she was shocked and believed it could have been an explosion. Photos taken at the site revealed ice on the roof adjacent to a hole, with the shed’s top punctured through.

The ice had fallen from a plane, which was the only logical explanation offered by the law enforcement personnel. “He just said that we are below a flight path and it could have been ice from an airplane, which I had no idea could even happen,” Ms Lewis said.

The woman said that she took the pet to the veterinarian, however it could not be saved and was euthanised.

She has also made requests for an investigation into the event from Salt Lake City International Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Ms Lewis stated that the FAA informed her that they are investigating the possible plane from which the ice fell. Notably, her house is on the airport’s flight path.

“Honestly, every time I hear a plane go by, I’m thinking like, it’s made me a little bit nervous about it happening again. We’re just very unlucky apparently to have it hit us,” she added.