Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour, the longtime employee in the B787 Dreamliner assembly line, has alleged that the different sections of the plane's fuselage, which come in several pieces from different manufacturers, don't exactly fit together.
Pressure is real and It's getting difficult for Boeing everyday, as incidents and whistleblower allegations are denting the image of the American Aerospace giant.
The company went into a crisis in January when a door plug panel blew off a 737 Max jet in midair, renewing troubling questions about quality and safety at the company. Also, Last month, CEO Dave Calhoun announced he will step down at the end of the year.
Federal Aviation Administration regulators are now investigating the new whistleblower's claims about flaws in the assembly of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
Sam Salehpour went public Tuesday with claims that he observed problems with how parts of the plane's fuselage were fastened together. Salehpour warns that production "shortcuts" could significantly shorten the lifespan of the plane, eventually causing the fuselage to fall apart in mid-flight.
"If left unchecked, this could result in catastrophic failure," Salehpour said Tuesday during a press briefing to discuss his claims.
Quality issues and production flaws with the 787 jets prompted Boeing to suspend deliveries for more than a year until August 2022 as the FAA investigated the matter.
It was again paused for few weeks the following February over issues related to regulatory documents.
In 2021, the company said there were instances where the shims of some 787 jets were of inappropriate size. A shim is a thin material that is used to plug gaps in various parts of the aircraft during manufacturing.
A spokesman for the FAA confirmed that the agency is investigating those allegations, which were first reported by the New York Times, but declined to comment further on them.
Mr Salehpour was moved away from the Boeing’s 787 programme and also faced termination threats after raising the safety concerns.
Mentioning of punitive action against their client ,Salehpour's lawyers told on Tuesday that the engineer witnessed Boeing using shortcuts to cut production costs on the B787, drastically reducing the plane's lifespan. Attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said in a statement,
"Our client identified serious safety concerns and did everything possible to bring those concerns to the attention of Boeing officials."
"Rather than heeding his warnings, Boeing prioritized getting the planes to market as quickly as possible, despite the known, well-substantiated issues Mr. Salehpour raised."
"He raised his hand again and again," said his attorney, Debra Katz. "He was threatened with physical violence. He was threatened with termination. He was transferred off the 787. He has been punished repeatedly."
In its statement, Boeing said that all employees are encouraged to :
"speak up when issues arise," and that "retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing."
Boeing also defended the Dreamliner, and immediately pushed back.
"These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft," Boeing spokeswoman Jessica Kowal said in a statement. "We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner."
Salehpour could testify on Capitol Hill next week. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs will hold a hearing on April 17th titled "Examining Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts."
"I'm doing this not because I want Boeing to fail," Salehpour told reporters, "but because I want it to succeed and prevent the crashes from happening."
Salehpour is the second Boeing whistleblower to come forward in recent months. John Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower and quality control manager who made headlines in March, was found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot.
The Charleston County, South Carolina Coroner's office ruled that Barnett's death appeared to be "a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound,".
Following his death, a close family friend of Barnett recalled to local Charleston ABC 4 News outlet the Boeing engineer telling her, "If anything happens, it's not suicide."
You may like to read.....
