The latest allegations against Boeing come from a whistleblower complaint filed by Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector for the company in Renton, Washington. Mohawk claims that Boeing intentionally hid faulty parts from FAA inspectors and then lost track of them, some of which may have been installed in new 737 planes. The faulty parts were reportedly marked with a red tag or red paint, and were stored outdoors before being moved to another location prior to an FAA inspection in June 2023.
Mohawk also alleges that his supervisors instructed him to delete records indicating that the parts were faulty before regulators inspected them. Senator Richard Blumenthal released the committee’s report on these claims, though his office did not respond to Forbes’ inquiry for further information. Boeing has stated that they are reviewing the claims after receiving the complaint late on Monday evening, and they have not provided any further comment at this time.
Boeing chief executive David Calhoun is set to testify before a Senate committee chaired by Blumenthal on Tuesday. Calhoun is expected to address the company’s plans to address its manufacturing issues, admitting that Boeing’s culture is “far from perfect.” This comes after increased scrutiny from federal regulators following an incident in January where a metal door plug flew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737, revealing missing bolts that had been overlooked for several months. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has confirmed multiple active investigations into Boeing, including reports from whistleblowers that the agency is currently processing.
In addition to the recent allegations, Boeing has also been conducting inspections on undelivered 787 Dreamliner aircraft after discovering that hundreds of fasteners were incorrectly installed. The company has stated that this issue will not impact flight safety or deliveries. Last month, the FAA announced an investigation into claims from Boeing that some employees had falsified inspections for certain 787 Dreamliners, though Boeing maintains that this did not pose a safety risk. Calhoun has previously accepted responsibility for the manufacturing issues at Boeing, particularly regarding the incident with the Alaska Airlines flight, stating that the company is “accountable for what happened.”
Overall, these latest claims against Boeing add to the string of manufacturing issues facing the aerospace firm this year. With continued scrutiny from regulators and ongoing investigations, Boeing is facing pressure to address these issues and improve its manufacturing processes to ensure the safety of its aircraft. Calhoun’s testimony before the Senate committee will provide further insight into Boeing’s plans moving forward and their efforts to regain trust in the industry.
