On Monday, Boeing defended the safety and quality testing of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft despite allegations from one of the company's engineers regarding shortcuts to speed up the planes' production.
The Whistleblower's Allegation
Whistleblower Sam Salehpour claimed last week that Boeing's 787 assemblies strained airplane joints, potentially shortening their lifespans. Boeing refuted the allegations, labeling them inaccurate, and affirmed the planes' safety.
Salehpour and another Boeing whistleblower, a former aviation official, and an independent safety expert are set to testify at a Senate hearing titled "Examining Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts," scheduled for Wednesday, focusing on aircraft safety.
Salehpour's claims add to Boeing's challenges amid heightened scrutiny following a door plug incident on a 737 Max plane in January. The incident at 16,000 feet endangered passengers and prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to halt Boeing's plans to increase aircraft production.
Boeing Dismissing The Allegations
During a two-hour presentation with reporters on Monday, two Boeing engineering managers outlined the stress and safety tests conducted on the 787, which involved subjecting the plane to 165,000 cycles, simulating flights under various conditions. Additionally, the engineers explained that a 300-pound pendulum struck the fuselage skin as part of the testing process.
Boeing's chief engineer for mechanical and structural engineering, Steve Chisholm, stated that the company subjected fuselage panels to rigorous tests, repeating them more times than typical aircraft would experience in service. It noted that despite the intense testing, the damage to the panels did not escalate.
The FAA's Investigation
Salehpour's claims concern the junctions where segments of the 787's carbon composite fuselage converge, asserting that Boeing applied pressure to unite these segments without accurately measuring the gaps. Salehpour and his legal team forwarded a letter outlining his allegations to the FAA in January, prompting an investigation by the agency.
Last week, during a call with reporters, the whistleblower stated that he witnessed individuals physically adjusting the pieces of the 777 by literally jumping on them to align them properly. Boeing responded later that day, refuting these claims as inaccurate and expressing full confidence in the safety and durability of the 777 family.
Boeing's Response to The Ongoing Investigation
Boeing halted deliveries of the 787 for almost two years until August 2022 due to incorrect spacing on certain fuselage sections.
Boeing stated that the claims regarding the structural integrity 787 are inaccurate and do not reflect the thorough work done to ensure the aircraft's quality and long-term safety. They mentioned that these concerns underwent rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight, which confirmed they do not pose safety risks and the aircraft will maintain its service life for decades.
Salehpour's lawyers claim Boeing retaliated against him for expressing his concerns by excluding him from meetings and reassigning him from the 787 program to the company's 777 plan.
Boeing declined to comment on those specific allegations last week, citing the FAA's ongoing whistleblower investigation. However, it emphasized that retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing.
The company is set to report quarterly results on April 24, during which time it will likely field investor inquiries about aircraft safety, production rates, and FAA oversight.
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