The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating claims made by a Boeing engineer, Sam Salehpour, that the company took manufacturing shortcuts on two wide-body jets, the 787 Dreamliner and the 777. Salehpour believes that sections of the 787 Dreamliner fuselage are improperly fastened together, which could lead to catastrophic outcomes such as midflight failure. He also claimed to have seen issues with the assembly of the 777. Salehpour said he was silenced and transferred to another division when he tried to escalate his concerns, which he perceived as retaliatory.
The FAA is currently looking into Salehpour’s complaint, which was submitted in January. The agency encourages voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal, stating that it is a critical component of aviation safety. Boeing strongly denied Salehpour’s allegations, stating that the structural integrity of the 787 has been rigorously examined and validated by the FAA. The company also expressed confidence in the safety and durability of the 777 family and denied claims of silencing employees. This comes after a former quality control engineer for Boeing, John Barnett, was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after bringing a whistleblower retaliation case against the company.
Boeing has faced a turbulent period, with issues such as the loss of a door plug on a 737 Max 9 in January and loose bolts and installation issues found on multiple jets during a subsequent investigation. The head of the 737 Max program was ousted in response to these issues, and CEO David Calhoun announced he would step down by the end of the year. The company has been under scrutiny since the crashes of two 737 Max planes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people. Investigators blamed faulty sensors on an automated flight-control system for the crashes.
After the FAA cleared the 737 Max to fly again in 2020, Calhoun pledged that Boeing would focus on safety, quality, and integrity. Salehpour believes that the company has not lived up to this commitment, prompting him to speak out. He stated that he is speaking up not to see Boeing fail, but to see it succeed and prevent crashes from happening. Salehpour emphasized that Boeing needs to do better in ensuring safety and preventing future incidents. The company continues to monitor issues under established regulatory protocols and prohibits retaliation against employees who raise concerns.
