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It subsequently became apparent that the pitch-up problem could also occur at low airspeeds, which would require that the horizontal stabilizer be adjusted farther to achieve a similar effect.

Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region chief, told Alaska Public Media the apparent strike of a large snag, or dead tree, made the plane’s left horizontal stabilizer inoperative.

The problem, involving miniscule gaps in a fitting on the horizontal stabilizer located at the base of the 787's tail, must be fixed before Boeing can hand over planes to customers.

“We are inspecting 787s in our inventory for a nonconforming condition related to a fitting on the horizontal stabilizer,” Boeing said in a statement.

The problem, which does not pose a flight safety concern, involves a fitting for the 787's horizontal stabilizer made by a Boeing production facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company said.