David Shepardson and Allison Lampert
(Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating claims from a Boeing (NYSE:) whistleblower that the company dismissed safety and quality concerns in the production of its 787 and 777 planes, an agency spokesman said on Tuesday.
Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour identified engineering problems that he said were affecting the planes’ structural integrity and said Boeing used cutbacks to reduce bottlenecks in the 787 assembly process, his lawyers said in a news release.
Boeing has encountered quality problems and manufacturing defects on the 787, prompting the company to halt deliveries for more than a year until August 2022 as the FAA investigated the problems. The company is already grappling with a safety crisis after a mid-air panel explosion on a 737 MAX plane in January led to the resignation of both its chairman and CEO.
In 2021, Boeing reported that about 787 aircraft had improperly sized gaskets, and some aircraft had areas that did not meet skin flatness requirements. A gasket is a thin piece of material used to fill tiny gaps in a manufactured product.
In a statement, Boeing said it has full confidence in the 787 Dreamliner, adding that the statements are “inaccurate and do not reflect the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.”
Boeing shares fell 1.6% to $178.65 Tuesday afternoon after the FAA confirmed the investigation, first reported by the New York Times.
An agency source said the FAA met with the informant.
Salehpour’s lawyers say workers took shortcuts during the 787 assembly process, adding key connections to the plane. In a Jan. 19 letter to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, lawyers said Salehpour made these observations while working on the 787 program in 2021.
“Rather than heed his warnings, Boeing prioritized getting the aircraft to market as quickly as possible, despite the known and legitimate concerns he raised,” attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said in a statement Tuesday.
In August 2022, the FAA approved delivery of the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner starting in 2021 after the manufacturer completed inspections and upgrade changes needed to meet certification standards.