Source: AFP
Federal aviation authorities are investigating claims by a Boeing engineer that the 787 Dreamliner suffers from assembly defects that threaten safety, US officials said on Tuesday.
Attorneys for the whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, accuse the company of putting profit over safety — and retaliate against him after he raised concerns by “involuntarily” moving him to the 777 program.
In the 777 program, he raised more issues, for which his lawyers say he was threatened with termination.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the investigation after the allegations were detailed in a New York Times article detailing the charges against Salehpour, who has worked at Boeing for more than 10 years.
“Instead of heeding his warnings, Boeing prioritized getting the planes into service as quickly as possible, despite the well-known, well-documented issues raised by Mr. Salehpour,” said attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, who noted ” critical defects” in nearly 1,500 Boeing airplanes.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/f5aba4593836d409.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/f5aba4593836d409.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
What’s behind the recent spate of incidents involving Boeing planes?
Boeing, which has come under scrutiny after recent safety problems, has released a detailed defense of the plane, saying it is “absolutely confident” about the Dreamliner and denying accusations it retaliated against the worker.
A Senate investigative committee has scheduled a hearing for April 17 titled “Examining Boeing’s Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts,” a spokesman for Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
“Voluntary reporting without fear of retaliation is a critical element of aviation safety,” the FAA said.
Fewer airplane deliveries
Salehpour has pointed to “shortcuts” in Boeing’s assembly processes that lead to excessively large gaps between different parts of the plane that could “ultimately cause premature fatigue failure without any warning, thereby creating unsafe conditions for the aircraft with potentially catastrophic accidents ,” according to the FAA. complaint published by Salehpour’s lawyers.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/d332e7ce9afb3229.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/d332e7ce9afb3229.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
Big business climate commitments ‘critically inadequate’: report
“Our client’s concerns about the ‘schedule-to-safety’ culture at Boeing have become even more urgent as a result of recent incidents involving defects on Boeing’s 737 MAX 9 airplanes,” the complaint said.
In its statement, Boeing said the issues raised by the critic “have been subject to rigorous engineering review under FAA oversight,” adding that retaliation is “strictly prohibited” at the company.
Boeing said it incorporated “participation verification” into production processes after slowing production and halting deliveries for nearly two years in response to employees identifying “compliance” issues with the 787.
“For the in-service fleet, Boeing and the FAA’s comprehensive analysis found that there is no near-term flight safety concern,” the plane maker said. “Based on the analysis and any future inspections, the 787 will maintain its durability, strength and service life.”
The whistleblower’s claim comes after an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 flight in January made an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight.
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/698416eb41649fb9.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
![](https://images.yen.com.gh/images/698416eb41649fb9.jpg?impolicy=cropped-image&imwidth=256)
Read also
Asian markets were mostly higher as traders weighed the outlook for interest rates
After that incident, the FAA froze Boeing’s MAX production while insisting the plane maker demonstrate improvement in operations and quality control. Boeing announced a leadership shakeup last month that includes the planned departure of Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun at the end of 2024.
Earlier Tuesday, Boeing reported sharply lower first-quarter airplane deliveries. Company officials have pointed to the production halt as part of heightened security measures following the Alaska Airlines incident in January.
In the first quarter, Boeing delivered 83 commercial jets, down 36% from the year-ago period.
Boeing shares fell 1.9%.
Source: AFP