Boeing is back in the spotlight, and not in a way they'd hope for. 😬 A whistleblower has stepped forward, claiming that the aerospace giant brushed off safety and quality concerns during the production of its popular 787 and 777 jets. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking these allegations seriously and has launched an investigation.
Engineer Sam Salehpour alleges that when he pointed out issues affecting the structural integrity of the jets, he faced retaliation from Boeing higher-ups, including threats and being excluded from meetings. He claims that Boeing used shortcuts during the 787 assembly to reduce bottlenecks, which led to excessive stress on major airplane joints and embedded drilling debris between key joints on over 1,000 planes! 😱
Boeing had previously halted deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner for over a year due to quality problems and manufacturing flaws. Issues like the use of improperly sized shims and areas not meeting skin-flatness specifications were identified. A shim is a tiny piece used to fill gaps in manufactured products, and getting that wrong can spell big trouble in the skies.
In response to these new claims, Boeing stated they are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner's safety, calling the allegations inaccurate and not representative of the work they've done to ensure quality and safety.
But Salehpour isn't backing down. He told reporters that he witnessed problems with misalignment in the production of the 777 jet, which were fixed by using force—literally people jumping on airplane parts to make them fit! 🙈
All this drama has hit Boeing where it hurts: their stock. Shares closed down nearly 2% after the FAA confirmed the investigation.
The FAA emphasized the importance of voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal, stating, \"We thoroughly investigate all reports.\"
This isn't the first time Boeing has faced scrutiny over safety concerns, and it seems the journey to restore trust is still turbulent. ✈️💨
Stay tuned for updates as this story unfolds!
Reference(s):
Boeing hit with whistleblower allegations, adding to safety concerns
cgtn.com
