A veteran Boeing engineer has come forward with a complaint filed with federal regulators, alleging that the aerospace giant dismissed crucial quality and safety concerns during the production of its troubled 787 Dreamliner jets in 2021. The claims, made by Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer with four decades of experience in aerospace engineering, have prompted an investigation by federal safety officials.
According to Salehpour, he observed Boeing using shortcuts during the 787 assembly process that placed excessive stress on important joints and embedded drilling debris between joints on more than 1,000 planes. These errors, he claims, could reduce the plane's lifespan and may be difficult to detect. "I'm doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and to prevent crashes from happening," Salehpour stated during a call with reporters.
Boeing has refuted the claims, asserting that they are inaccurate and that the company is confident in the safety of the jets, which are subject to rigorous oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company stated, "This analysis has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades. We continue to monitor these issues under established regulatory protocols and encourage all employees to speak up when issues arise."
The FAA, which received the complaint in January, declined to comment on the matter, with a spokesman stating, "Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety. We thoroughly investigate all reports."
These claims come amidst broader scrutiny of Boeing's quality control and manufacturing operations, particularly in the wake of a midair blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight in January involving a smaller 737 MAX built at Boeing's Renton, Wash., factory. The company has also faced long-standing issues with the quality of the South Carolina-built 787 Dreamliner, which has seen deliveries halted for extended periods due to various production and regulatory concerns.
Salehpour's lawyers allege that he was involuntarily moved off the 787 program to the 777 program after raising his concerns and was subsequently threatened with termination for flagging issues on the 777 to his supervisors. They stated, "These problems are the direct result of Boeing's decision in recent years to prioritize profits over safety, and a regulator in the FAA that has become too deferential to industry."
Boeing maintains that it has determined there is no safety concern for any planes currently in service and is in the process of determining long-term inspection and maintenance needs under FAA oversight. The company also emphasizes its prohibition of retaliation and encouragement of employees to flag quality and safety issues.
