A Boeing engineer-turned-whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, has raised allegations that the aerospace giant’s 787 Dreamliner is unsafe to fly due to assembly flaws. Salehpour claims that tiny nonconforming gaps found in multiple planes after assembly could lead to catastrophic outcomes, possibly causing the plane to fall apart midflight. Despite Salehpour’s claims, Boeing has stated that they are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner’s safety and that the claims about its structural integrity are inaccurate.
Salehpour, who has worked for Boeing for 15 years, spoke with NBC News in an exclusive interview and stated that he would not put his own family on a 787 right now due to the alleged safety issues. He is expected to testify before a U.S. Senate subcommittee to further discuss his concerns. Salehpour’s allegations have emerged amid a series of incidents, including a midflight blowout of a door panel from a 737 Max 9, which have prompted intense scrutiny of Boeing’s manufacturing processes.
Boeing has defended the structural integrity of the 787 Dreamliner, stating that the wide-body jet has been stress-tested for 165,000 cycles, beyond the expected lifespan of the plane, and never failed. The company also conducted inspections on over 600 of the more than 1,100 787s in service worldwide and found no evidence of fatigue. Despite these assurances, Salehpour maintains that production of the 787 should be halted while the alleged problems are addressed in the fleet currently in service.
Salehpour first raised his concerns to the FAA in January and the agency is now investigating his claims. Boeing has stated that retaliation is strictly prohibited, however, Salehpour was transferred to work on the 777 line in 2022 after raising his concerns internally. Salehpour’s attorney, Lisa Banks, has reported hearing from at least half a dozen potential whistleblowers at Boeing who have raised similar issues to those brought up by Salehpour. Salehpour stated that he felt compelled to go public with his concerns in order to address potential safety problems he has observed.
The allegations made by Salehpour have put Boeing under increased scrutiny as the company continues to deal with the fallout from recent incidents involving its aircraft. Salehpour’s claims, which question the safety of the 787 Dreamliner, have led to further investigations by the FAA and calls for action from regulatory agencies. Despite Boeing’s insistence that the 787 is safe to fly, Salehpour and other potential whistleblowers have raised serious concerns about the safety of the aircraft and the need for immediate action to address any potential issues.
