Engineer alleges that Boeing took shortcuts
He says the issues ‘may dramatically reduce the life of the plane’. By
Boeing allegedly took shortcuts to ease production bottlenecks for its 787 Dreamliner aircraft that could eventually impair the structural integrity of more than 1,000 of the wide-body jets in service, according to a quality engineer who worked on the planes.
The embattled plane manufacturer wrongly measured and filled gaps that can occur when airframe segments are joined together, according to Sam Salehpour, a long-time Boeing employee who made his concerns public on Tuesday, 9 April.
Over time, the issue could lead to “significant fatigue”, according to a 19 January letter to US aviation safety regulators by the law firm Katz Banks Kumin in Washington, DC, which is representing Salehpour as a whistle-blower.
Salehpour, who according to his attorneys worked on the 787 from 2020 to early 2022, told reporters on Tuesday that the issues he described “may dramatically reduce the life of the plane”.
The claims intensify the scrutiny of Boeing’s manufacturing and quality practices that’s been building since a fuselage panel blew off a nearly new 737 Max 9 shortly after takeoff on 5 January. The allegations also extend the harsh spotlight to the Dreamliner, a critical source of cash for Boeing as 737 output is muted under close oversight by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
After the allegations were made public, Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, announced that he had asked Boeing’s departing chief executive Dave Calhoun to appear at a 17 April subcommittee hearing called to examine the aircraft manufacturer’s safety culture.
“Boeing understands the important oversight responsibilities of the subcommittee and we are cooperating with this inquiry,” the company said.
“We have offered to provide documents, testimony and technical briefings, and are in discussions with the subcommittee regarding next steps.”
In separate statements, Boeing disputed Salehpour’s account.
The company noted it had halted 787 deliveries for nearly two years earlier this decade under close FAA supervision after it found a spate of tiny structural imperfections in the joints where the carbon-fibre barrel sections are bolted together.
“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,” it said in a statement responding to the allegations.
Company engineers are “completing exhaustive analysis to determine any longterm inspection and maintenance required, with oversight from the FAA”, Boeing said.
The latest allegations cast Boeing in an unfavourable light as it grapples with a crisis of confidence after the 5 January panel blowout. Although nobody on that flight was seriously hurt, the issue has put the spotlight on Boeing’s manufacturing and safety procedures, and has led to a wholesale makeover of senior management.
The crisis has jolted investors as well. Boeing shares fell 1.9% on Tuesday, extending their decline to nearly 32% this year.
Senate hearing
Salehpour plans to discuss the manufacturing shortfalls that he witnessed during the hearing before the Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations scheduled for 17 April.
In a 19 March letter to Calhoun, Blumenthal and Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, the panel’s top-ranking Republican, asked for Boeing’s “immediate cooperation” with the panel’s review of Salehpour’s allegations.
Salehpour’s attorneys flagged the issues to the FAA in a whistle-blower letter dated 19 January. The agency launched an investigation and interviewed Salehpour, his attorneys said, adding that other whistle-blowers have come forward.
“Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety,” the FAA said in a statement. “We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information…”
Boeing disputed his attorney’s suggestion that in-service 787 Dreamliners face shorter commercial lives. The company said it has confirmed the finding through extensive fatigue testing, including forces that were more than 10 times the maximum allowed in production.
Salehpour said he flagged his concerns to Boeing management but was ignored and ultimately transferred to the 777 programme. There, he claims to have witnessed improper production practices after the aircraft manufacturer ripped out a flawed robotic system without properly redesigning the relevant parts to match the new assembly process.
In a separate statement, Boeing said the claims were inaccurate. “We are fully confident in the safety and durability of the 777 family,” the company said.
The claims intensify the scrutiny of Boeing’s
manufacturing and quality practices that’s been building since a fuselage panel blew off a nearly new 737 Max 9 shortly after takeoff on
5 January