US officials investigate after Boeing whistle-blower raises concerns about 787 Dreamliner
- Whistle-blower makes allegations about production ‘short cuts’ affecting the quality of Boeing planes
- Embattled plane maker rejects claims that 787 aircraft could have a shortened service life
US aviation authorities are investigating claims by a Boeing engineer that the 787 Dreamliner suffers from assembly defects that threaten safety, US officials said on Tuesday.
Lawyers for the whistle-blower, Sam Salehpour, accuse the company of putting profit over safety – and retaliating against him after he raised concerns by “involuntarily” transferring him to the 777 programme.
At the 777 programme, he raised more issues, for which his lawyers say he was threatened with termination.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the investigation after the claims were outlined in a New York Times article describing charges from Salehpour, who has been at Boeing more than 10 years.
“Rather than heeding his warnings, Boeing prioritised getting the planes to market as quickly as possible, despite the known, well-substantiated issues Mr Salehpour raised,” said lawyers Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, who pointed to “critical defects” on nearly 1,500 Boeing planes.
