BOEING DEFENDS 787 DREAMLINER AS SAFETY CONCERN REPORTS BY STAFF SURGE BY 500%
Boeing has defended the quality and safety of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft and said submissions to its online portal for workers to confidentially flag safety and quality concerns had “exploded” in recent months.
The company told reporters that comments on its “Speak Up” service in January and February alone equalled those for all of 2023, after it encouraged staff to use it following an incident in which a 737 door panel blew off in mid-air at the start of the year.
The briefing came as a whistleblower is due to testify in US Congress on Wednesday after he claimed parts of the 787 were incorrectly fastened and could break apart in mid-flight over time.
Sam Salehpour, an engineer at the firm, said the company had taken “shortcuts” by “prioritising profit over safety” when manufacturing the Dreamliner, claiming Boeing threatened to sack him after he raised concerns. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating his claims.
Mr Salehpour – who will give evidence at the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations – has also alleged issues with the production of another wide-bodied jet — the Boeing 777.
Steve Chisholm, Boeing’s chief engineer for mechanical and structural, assured reporters during a two-hour presentation at its South Carolina plant on Monday that the 787 had successfully endured stress testing that exceeded normal operating conditions for a commercial plane.
“The average 787 accrues about 600 flights a year,” Mr Chisholm said, adding: “We did 165,000 [flight] cycles … There were zero findings of fatigue in the composites.”
At the same briefing, Lisa Fahl, a vice-president at Boeing who previously oversaw 787 production line quality, said the firm had tried to make it easier for workers to use the feedback system and for their concerns to reach the relevant executives. “We have exploded in the amount of Speak Ups that have come in, because we’re continually encouraging it.”
A spokesperson told the Guardian that submissions were up 500 per cent in the first quarter after Boeing heavily promoted the portal.
In January, a Boeing 737 Max-9 operated by Alaska Airlines flying to Ontario, California was forced to make an emergency landing after a door plug ripped off, triggering a criminal investigation by the US Justice Department. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board found that four bolts meant to secure the panel to the fuselage were missing.
The FAA found problems with Boeing’s production practices following an audit sparked by the incident.
The Boeing 737 Max passenger airliner was grounded worldwide after 346 people died in two similar crashes involving the plane in 2018 and 2019.
Whistleblower John Barnett, who worked at Boeing’s production hub in South Carolina where Monday’s press conference was held and had raised concerns about manufacturing practices, was found dead in March with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The company’s chief executive, David Calhoun, announced last month that he would resign as head of Boeing at the end of 2024. Boeing’s chair, Larry Kellner, and the CEO of its commercial airplanes arm, Stan Deal, will also step down.
Bernard Lavelle, an aviation Consultant at BL Aviation Consulting, told i: “For Boeing, this just adds to their current issues, with the claim that over the last few years, they have been focusing more on shareholder value than on safety and quality.
“The current whistleblower claims are not dissimilar to another whistleblower, John Barnett, who made similar claims after he retired from Boeing, back in 2017. He was in the middle of a defamation lawsuit against Boeing, when he took his own life last month, before the end of the case. So it seems these alleged issues have been going on for some time.”
But he said that safety checks at Boeing and airlines using its planes would be rigorous at present, with 2023 having been the safest year in history for flying.
“The FAA are now all over Boeing, and Boeing themselves have reduced their own production levels of the B737-Max to building no more than 38 per month, that the FAA had enforced upon them, as they try to ensure that every aircraft is produced to the correct standard.
“Airlines themselves will also be checking their aircraft to ensure they are safe, and we should remember that 2023 was the safest year ever for aviation.”
The fleet of Dreamliner 787 planes has been grounded several times due to safety concerns, including data analysis error, a fire caused by faulty batteries and safety concerns over incorrectly sized panel gap fillers.
Mr Salehpour’s claims relate to gaps Boeing found in the 787 four years ago at joints between fuselage sections. Boeing had fitted the gaps with improperly sized slivers of material, which led to the company halting 787 deliveries for two years. The FAA cleared the manufacturer to resume deliveries in 2022.
According to Mr Lavelle, there are 1,092 787s, 1,366 777s and 1,456 737-Max aircraft operating across the world.
Boeing previously told i that Mr Salehpour’s claims about the “structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate.
“We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner because of the comprehensive work done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.
“We continue to monitor these issues under established regulatory protocols and encourage all employees to speak up when issues arise.”
2024-04-16T11:48:09Z dg43tfdfdgfd