Yesterday, the FAA announced an investigation (yet another...) into a 737 Max 8 jet that encountered a dangerous mid-flight 'Dutch roll' several weeks ago. Now, a report from the New York Times reveals that some Boeing jets are built with 'counterfeit titanium.' 

Some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus jets have components made from titanium that was sold using fake documentation verifying the material's authenticity, according to a supplier for the plane makers, raising concerns about the structural integrity of those airliners.

The falsified documents are being investigated by Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration. The investigation comes after a parts supplier found small holes in the material from corrosion. -NYT

The report continued:

The planes that included components made with the material were built between 2019 and 2023, among them some Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner airliners as well as Airbus A220 jets, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It is not clear how many of those planes are in service or which airlines own them.

Fuselage maker Spirit is investigating the source of the titanium and whether the metal meets aviation standards. The big question is if the metal used in critical parts of the airframe is structurally sound enough to last the projected life spans of the jets. If the metal is tested and found to be below aviation specs, the parts must be removed and replaced. 

"This is about documents that have been falsified, forged and counterfeited," Joe Buccino, a Spirit spokesman, told NYT, adding, "Once we realized the counterfeit titanium made its way into the supply chain, we immediately contained all suspected parts to determine the scope of the issues."