Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer who turned whistleblower, appeared on NBC News on Tuesday evening. He said that the 787 Dreamliner plane could literally “fall apart” and “drop to ground” because of assembly flaws. Salehpour also stated that he would not feel comfortable putting his own family on the aircraft.
He will testify Wednesday before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee about what he believes are devastating safety issues in the company’s aircraft industry.
He thinks that the whole fleet should be grounded.
As far as I am concerned, the entire fleet needs attention. Attention is needed to ensure that there are no gaps or potential failures.
Watch:
EXCLUSIVE TONIGHT ON #NN: Sam Salehpour, a current Boeing engineer, tells @tomcostellonbc that he became alarmed by what he was seeing in the production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Boeing has insisted that the 787 is safe and shows zero signs of fatigue. pic.twitter.com/JizQtc6l9C
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) April 16, 2024
Boeing says that even though its jets were involved in several incidents, there’s no need to be alarmed.
Boeing is still reeling from the aftermath of a mid-flight door panel blowout from a newly built 737 Max 9 on a crowded Alaska Airlines Flight, Jan. 5, 2015. This incident has led Boeing to examine its manufacturing processes in great detail and caused Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, the company’s highest official, to resign.
Boeing stated in a press release, “These claims regarding the structural integrity are inaccurate.” The FAA has conducted a rigorous engineering review of the issues raised.
Boeing Co. stock has fallen over 32 percent in the turmoil since the start of the year.
Another whistleblower, who died in March as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot to his head, is a strange corollary. The initial ruling stated that the bullet was fired by the whistleblower himself. However, his lawyers publicly questioned that narrative. He was scheduled to testify in the next few days about his safety claims.
The company is desperate to dispel allegations that its aircraft are unsafe:
Two top Boeing engineers, who were on a tour of their 787 Dreamliner production plant in South Carolina, on Monday, defended the structural integrity and reliability of the 787. They said the wide-body plane had been stress-tested 165,000 times, well beyond its expected lifespan, without ever failing. The company stated that it had inspected more than 1,100 787s worldwide, and found no signs of fatigue.
Salehpour has not backed down, despite the personal costs he described.
I have stepped forward and extended my neck… but you know, I am at peace with myself. This is going to help save many lives.
Below you can view the complete interview:
