Boeing faces new US investigation into ‘missed’ 787 inspections
5 Min Read
The investigation is into whether the company employees "may have falsified aircraft records."
-
Models of Boeing aircraft are displayed during the Singapore Airshow in Singapore on February 22, 2024. (AP)
Boeing is facing new scrutiny after telling US authorities that it may have neglected to conduct required quality tests on its 787 Dreamliner jets.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that it was "investigating whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records."
According to the FAA, Boeing voluntarily informed them in April that it "may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes."
Scott Stocker, the Boeing official in charge of the 787 programs, stated in an internal document obtained by The Guardian that the issue was reported by an employee and was a case of "misconduct", but not "an immediate safety of flight issue."
As per the memo, several people were "violating company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed," detailing that the regulator was informed and "swift and serious corrective action" was being taken.
Stocker stated that the business would "celebrate" the employee who spoke up.
Last month, a Boeing engineer, who has worked for the company for more than 10 years, revealed that the 787 Dreamliner has assembly defects that threaten safety, so they are being investigated by federal aviation authorities, US officials said on April 9.
Attorneys for the whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, who revealed that the company retaliated against Salehpour for raising these concerns by "involuntarily" moving him to the 777 program, also accused the company of valuing profit over safety.
He was later threatened with termination after he raised further issues at the 777 program, his attorneys said.
In January, a door panel on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max was ripped off in midair, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.
Second Boeing whistleblower dies of 'sudden illness'
Last week, a former quality auditor who accused a Boeing supplier of disregarding 737 Max production flaws died.
Joshua Dean, 45, was dismissed in April 2023 for raising low standards at Spirit AeroSystems' production unit in Wichita, Kansas. He died suddenly, as reported by The Seattle Times Wednesday.
Dean had gotten MRSA, a rapidly spreading bacterial infection, and was hospitalized prior to his death. His aunt, Carol Parsons, published a Facebook post with a note from Dean's mother dated Monday, stating that his condition was deteriorating.
Her message detailed how his lungs were "totally whited out from infection," adding that he is "very depressed, frightened, and doing a lot of sleeping."
Dean filed a Labor Department lawsuit following his departure from Spirit last year, claiming he was sacked in retribution for voicing safety concerns. According to The Seattle Times, he said that mechanics were drilling holes in the Max's aft pressure bulkhead incorrectly and that management ignored his objections.
He testified and filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming "serious and gross misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line" at Spirit AeroSystems.
His death comes as Boeing faces criticism for repeated jet mishaps with this year having over 40 incidents, accidents, and mishaps involving Boeing jets, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's Case Analysis and Reporting Online service.
However, that figure is roughly the same as figures for the same period in 2023, and analysts believe Boeing's problems aren't getting worse.
Boeing whistleblower's suicide: 'No one can believe it,' attorney says
Last month, John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who raised concerns about production issues, was found dead in an apparent suicide in South Carolina.
Barnett, a 32-year Boeing veteran, had voiced issues about safety problems, notably with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He was involved in a whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing at the time of his death.
The Charleston County coroner's office in South Carolina confirmed the 62-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, lawyers representing Dean and Barnett, divulged to the HuffPost that at the time of Barnett's death, "he was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn't see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it."
Barnett, who worked as a quality manager at Boeing, had "exposed very serious safety problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and was retaliated against and subjected to a hostile work environment," they added.
Knowles told The Seattle Times that "whistleblowers are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interests of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand up."
