The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating claims by a Boeing whistleblower that the company dismissed safety and quality concerns in its production of 787s and 777s, an agency spokeswoman said. This was announced on Tuesday.
Boeing engineer Sam Salepour identified technical issues affecting the jet’s structural integrity and claimed that Boeing took shortcuts to alleviate bottlenecks during the 787’s assembly process. , his attorney said in a release.
Boeing has faced quality issues and manufacturing defects with its 787 planes, halting deliveries for more than a year until August 2022 while the FAA investigates the concerns. The company is already facing a safety crisis after an aerial panel on a 737 MAX aircraft exploded in January, leading to the resignation of both its board chairman and CEO.
In 2021, Boeing announced that some 787s were equipped with shims that were not properly sized and that some planes had areas that did not meet skin flatness specifications. Shims are thin materials used to fill small gaps in manufactured products.
Boeing said in a statement that it has complete confidence in the 787 Dreamliner, calling the claims “inaccurate and contradicting the comprehensive efforts Boeing has made to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.” It does not represent that,” he added.
Boeing shares fell 2% after the FAA acknowledged the investigation. The New York Times reported.
Officials said the FAA met with the whistleblower.
Salepour’s lawyers argue that workers used shortcuts during the 787’s assembly process to add key joints to the plane. In a Jan. 19 letter to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, lawyers said Salepour made these points while working on the 2021 787 program.
“Despite the well-documented and known issues he has raised, Boeing has decided to remove the aircraft as soon as possible rather than follow his warnings,” attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said in a statement Tuesday. “Our priority was to bring it to market.”
In August 2022, the FAA approved the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner deliveries after 2021 after the manufacturer conducted the necessary inspections and modification changes to meet certification standards.
