A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington.
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taxis at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington.
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are investigating a whistleblower’s allegations about defects in the assembly of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
Longtime Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour said publicly Tuesday that he observed problems with the way parts of the plane’s fuselage were attached together. Salehpour warns that production “shortcuts” could significantly reduce the plane’s lifespan, possibly causing the fuselage to collapse mid-flight.
“If nothing is done, this could lead to catastrophic failure,” Salehpour said Tuesday during a press briefing to discuss his claims.
An FAA spokesperson confirmed that the agency was investigating the allegations, which were first reported by The New York Times, but declined to comment further on them.
Boeing 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 long-term quality and safety of the aircraft,” Boeing spokeswoman Jessica Kowal said. in a press release. “We have full confidence in the 787 Dreamliner.”
The latest whistleblower allegations come at a difficult time for Boeing. The company was plunged into crisis in January when a door catch panel blew up a 737 Max plane in mid-flight, renewing troubling questions about quality and safety at the company. Last month, CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would step down at the end of the year.
The concerns Salehpour raised about the 787 Dreamliner appear to be similar to those that prompted the FAA to ground the plane in 2021, when regulators discovered production defects including unacceptable gaps between fuselage panels.
The FAA then approved Boeing’s plan to overhaul its quality control and production processes, paving the way for the planemaker to resume 787 deliveries the following year.
But Salehpour and his lawyers say Boeing never adequately addressed those concerns. Instead, he claims the company took “shortcuts” by applying greater force to assemble the fuselage segments.
“Boeing hid the problem by forcefully putting the pieces together to make it look like the gap didn’t exist,” Salehpour told reporters at Tuesday’s news conference.
“I literally saw people jumping on the parts of the plane to get them aligned,” he said. “That’s not how you build a plane.”
Boeing says it has conducted extensive testing and that these issues “will not change or affect the expected life of the 787 fuselages.”
“The issues raised were subjected to a rigorous technical review under the supervision of the FAA. This analysis confirmed that these issues do not present any safety concerns and that the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades,” the statement said. company in response to Salehpour’s claims.
The 787 is made from lighter composite materials, allowing the plane to be more fuel efficient than the older 767 and 777. But the Dreamliner’s rollout was troubled from the start.
This is not the first time a Boeing whistleblower has raised concerns about the 787.
John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager, has gone public with a series of problems he says he identified at the South Carolina factory where he once helped inspect the Dreamliner.
Barnett was found dead in his truck from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in March. Police in Charleston, South Carolina, are investigating. He was testifying in a deposition in his wrongful termination lawsuit against the company.
Salehpour faced retaliation from Boeing after raising concerns internally, according to his lawyers.
“He raised his hand over and over again,” said his lawyer, Debra Katz. “He was threatened with physical violence. He was threatened with dismissal. He was transferred from 787. He was punished several times.”
In its statement, Boeing said all employees are encouraged to “speak up when issues arise” and that “retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing.”
Salehpour is expected to testify at the Capitol next week. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a hearing on April 17 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 accidents from happening.”
NPR News
