There has been bad news recently for Boeing. Really bad. The global aircraft manufacturer can’t seem to catch a break ever since media reports began reporting on safety issues in its production processes.After flying to California lost part of the hull January, one seemingly endless A string of horrific stories involving the company’s aircraft have dominated the headlines.
Then, last month, it emerged that a corporate whistleblower and former longtime Boeing employee is suing the company Found dead in motel parking lot.Although the man’s death was called a suicide, the incident sparked conspiracy theories and further aggravate The company’s escalating public relations crisis.
Now, a new Boeing whistleblower has revealed his identity with more disturbing allegations. In fact, there are many.
Sam Salehpour, a former engineer who worked for the company for more than a decade, filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration in January about his concerns.New York Times First to report Salepour’s announcement on Tuesday centered around the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The former engineer said production changes in “the way parts are fitted and fastened together on the assembly line” could cause the plane’s fuselage to “disintegrate” in mid-air after thousands of flights.
The Times reports:
Mr. Salepour, who has worked at Boeing for more than a decade, said the problem stems from changes in the way the huge components are installed and fastened on the assembly line. The plane’s fuselage is made up of several parts, all from different manufacturers, and they don’t all have the same shape when put together, he said.
So, you know, that’s not good.
Boeing has confirmed that the manufacturing changes mentioned by Salepour did exist, but denied that they involved safety issues. A statement sent to the New York Times said Boeing “has full confidence in the 787 Dreamliner” and that claims about safety issues are “inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.”
Salepour stands by his criticism and plans to appear before Congress for a hearing next week. The Times writes that the whistleblower has been invited to speak before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Investigations Subcommittee on April 17. “I’m not doing this because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent the crashes that are happening,” Salepour said recently tell reporters. “The fact is Boeing can’t continue like this. I think it needs to do a little better.”
Gizmodo reached out to Boeing for comment and will update this story if Boeing responds. An FAA representative told Gizmodo: “Voluntary reporting without fear of retaliation is a critical component of aviation safety. We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information. We investigate all reports thoroughly.”