Boeing Whistleblower Raises Alarm on 787 Safety Concerns

Key Takeaway

• Boeing engineer testifies to Senate about being retaliated against for raising safety concerns, affecting 777 and 787 models.
• Allegations include manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 Dreamliner, potentially compromising over 1,000 jets' safety.
• FAA and US Department of Justice investigating Boeing's safety culture and manufacturing practices following whistleblower claims.

Whistleblower Testimony

Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer at Boeing, testified before the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, highlighting a culture of retaliation against employees who raise safety concerns within the company. Salehpour detailed his experiences of being ignored and berated by management after questioning the safety of Boeing's 777 and 787 airplanes. He also mentioned finding a nail in his car tire, which he found suspicious. Salehpour's testimony comes amid his public concerns regarding the potential for the 787 Dreamliner to suffer from premature fatigue failure due to gaps between key sections, affecting over 1,000 jets in service. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating these claims.

Safety and Retaliation Concerns

Boeing faces scrutiny over its safety culture and the treatment of employees who voice safety concerns. Javier de Luis, an aerospace engineer at MIT, testified about the company-wide issue of employees fearing retaliation for speaking up. De Luis, who lost his sister in a 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 Max, criticized Boeing's safety culture, suggesting that production milestones take precedence over safety. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that a door panel on a Boeing 737 Max jet was missing bolts, leading to an investigation by the FAA and the US Department of Justice into Boeing's manufacturing and quality control practices.

Allegations of Manufacturing Flaws

Salehpour raised concerns about manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 Dreamliner, suggesting that these could leave sections of the aircraft's skin vulnerable to breaking apart. He called for all 787 jets to be grounded for inspection. Ed Pierson, a former Boeing engineer and current director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety, alleged a "criminal cover-up" related to a cabin panel blowout incident, accusing Boeing of failing to document work associated with the removal of a door from the jet before the incident. Boeing, however, has defended the integrity of the 787 and 777, stating that rigorous testing and inspections have shown no signs of fatigue or cracking in the composite panels of the Dreamliner.

Management Quotes

• Sam Salehpour, Quality Engineer at Boeing:

  "I have raised these issues over three years. I was ignored; I was told not to create delays; I was told, frankly, to shut up... There’s a culture of, when you address the quality issues . . . you get threatened."

• Javier de Luis, Aerospace Engineer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

  "Boeing employees hear safety is our No. 1 priority, but what they see is that is only true as long as your production milestones are met... At that point, it’s push it out the door as fast as you can."