BOEING WHISTLEBLOWER SOUNDS THE ALARM
Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour has called for the plane maker to ground its entire fleet of 787 Dreamliner jets over safety issues, ahead of a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
The Context
Lawyers for the Boeing engineer wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration in January detailing Salehpour's observations of "major lapses in the company's quality control process" and Boeing's "culture of cutting corners." The letter also said that Salehpour, who has worked for the plane maker for more than a decade, had been ignored by management after raising his concerns.
This revelation came on the heels of a series of incidents involving Boeing jets, including a door plug on a 737 jet flying off in midair during an Alaska Airline flight in January.
The 737 was also involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, which were blamed on "repeated and serious failures" by Boeing and the FAA.
What We Know
When asked about the 787 in an interview on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt Tuesday night, Salehpour said: "The entire fleet worldwide, as far as I'm concerned right now, needs attention."
"You need to check your gaps and make sure that you don't have potential for premature failure," he added.
In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Boeing said: "We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner. These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."
Views
In a recent Newsweek survey carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, three in four millennials said they were more worried about flying in the wake of recent high-profile safety lapses at Boeing.
What's Next?
Salehpour is due to appear at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee on Wednesday, where he is expected to address the safety issues he raised earlier this year and "retaliation" by the aircraft manufacturer in response.
A Boeing spokesperson told Newsweek that retaliation is strictly prohibited and that the company "encourages all employees to speak up when issues arise."
The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and other witnesses who are scheduled to speak include former Boeing engineer turned executive director for the Foundation for Aviation Safety, Ed Pierson, and Shawn Pruchnicki, from Ohio State University's Center for Aviation Studies.
Amid the ongoing difficulties and concerns, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced plans to step down at the end of the year.
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2024-04-17T10:00:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd