The news has been bad for Boeing lately. Really bad. Since the press learned about safety problems in the global aircraft manufacturer’s production process, the company can’t seem to catch a break. After a flight to California lost part of his torso in January, a seemingly endless A series of frightening stories surrounding the company’s aircraft made headlines.
Then, last month, a corporate whistleblower and former longtime Boeing employee was in the process of suing the company was found dead in a motel parking lot. Although the man’s death was ruled a suicide, the incident sparked conspiracy theories further intensified the company’s worsening PR crisis.
Now a new Boeing whistleblower has come forward with even more disturbing allegations. In fact, a lot of it.
Former engineer Sam Salehpour, who worked for the company for more than a decade, filed a complaint about his concerns with the Federal Aviation Administration in January. The New York Times was the first to report Salehpour’s claims on Tuesday, which largely revolve around Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner jet. The former engineer says production changes to the way the jet’s “parts were assembled and attached on the assembly line” could cause the plane’s fuselage to “break apart” in mid-air after thousands of flights.
The Times reports:
Mr. Salehpour, who has worked at Boeing for more than a decade, said the problems stemmed from changes in the way the huge sections were assembled and secured on the assembly line. The plane’s fuselage is made up of several parts, all from different manufacturers, and they don’t have exactly the same shape where they fit together, he said.
So, you know, that’s not great.
Boeing has confirmed that the manufacturing changes cited by Salehpour exist but has denied there is a safety issue. A statement sent to the Times said Boeing was “completely confident in the 787 Dreamliner” and that claims of a safety issue “are inaccurate and do not reflect the extensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.” to ensure the aircraft’s safety.” .”
Salehpour stood by his criticism and is scheduled to appear at a congressional hearing next week. The Times writes that the whistleblower has been invited to speak before the investigative subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on April 17. “I’m doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent crashes from happening,” Salehpour said recently told journalists. “The truth is that Boeing cannot continue as before. I think it still needs to get a little better.”
Gizmodo has reached out to Boeing for comment and will update this story if the company responds. An FAA official told Gizmodo: “Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical part of aviation safety. We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information. We investigate all reports thoroughly.”