Boeing says allegations about 787s and 777s “inaccurate” (documents).
New Delhi:
Aerospace giant Boeing has refuted whistleblower claims that it takes manufacturing shortcuts, circumvents safety regulations and silences critics in its rush to produce more planes and make bigger profits. The company, which is already facing scrutiny after a mid-air incident in January, noted that “extensive and rigorous testing and extensive maintenance inspections of the airframe” found “zero evidence of airframe fatigue”.
Boeing also said it had “meticulously inspected and modified the aircraft and improved production quality to meet the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) stringent standards.”
The announcement comes after (another) whistleblower accused the company of putting thousands of lives at risk every time its best-selling 787 Dreamliner or 777 takes off around the world.
Information about 787 quality: https://t.co/5WEGFmxlHCpic.twitter.com/5m28wSSuzi
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) April 17, 2024
“In 13 years of service, the global 787 fleet has safely transported more than 850 million passengers on more than 4.2 million flights. A 787 can operate safely for at least 30 years before requiring expanded airframe maintenance programs…” Boeing said afterwards. A former engineer told a U.S. Senate committee that the Dreamliner’s airframe could fatigue prematurely, leading to a tragic accident.
U.S. Senate holds hearing on Boeing 787
On Wednesday, Sam Salehpour, who has worked at Boeing for nearly two decades and twice as long in aerospace, compared potential accidents to repeatedly bending a paper clip.
“You do it once or twice…it doesn’t break. But it does sometimes,” he said.
Specifically, the allegation is that Dreamliner parts had gaps between them that were well above company standards. He claimed this could cause structural failure without warning.
Read | ‘Confidence in the durability of the 787, 777’: Boeing talks about its safety practices
To make up for those gaps, which exceeded the 0.005-inch standard set by Boeing, the company used force during assembly up to 165 times the recommended level of 10 pounds, Mr. Salehpour said.
Mr Salpour called for the entire 787 fleet to be grounded for an investigation. “The attitude at the top of Boeing is to get the defective part out, no matter what it is,” he said.
Read | Engineers say Boeing cut corners when building 787 Dreamliner
Mr. Salipur also testified that he faced pushback from senior managers after raising safety concerns and feared for his health. He said he became a whistleblower after being punished.
When he raised the alarm about the incident, his immediate supervisor asked him if he was “in or out,” the Associated Press reported. “‘Are you going to shut up?’ That’s how I interpreted it,” Mr. Salepour said.
Boeing, which did not attend the hearing, acknowledged there were deficiencies but said it was making corrections. “We know we have more work to do and we are taking action…” the company said.
The company also said it strictly prohibits retaliation against junior employees.
Boeing says “zero fatigue”
Last week, after Mr. Salehpour’s complaints first surfaced, the company said it estimated that 99 percent of gaps met the 0.005-inch standard. Boeing senior engineer Steve Chisholm told reporters that “zero fatigue” was found during the test, which involved placing a 787 aircraft in a test stand and pressurizing it three times for its expected life. 44,000 cycles.
“We’re talking about a 150-pound structure that’s supposed to carry thousands of pounds of weight…” Mr. Chisholm said. “acceptable.”
Other Boeing engineers also said design testing and inspections of in-service aircraft, some of which are as old as 12 years old, showed no signs of fatigue or cracking in the composite panels that make up the fuselage. The company stresses that the materials used are made of carbon fiber and resin and are “virtually fatigue-free,” a long-standing concern with conventional aircraft airframes.
Read | U.S. aviation agency says undelivered 787 Dreamliners have new problems
The FAA says the 787s currently in use comply with current safety regulations.
Still, Salipour’s claims alarmed U.S. lawmakers, who called for a detailed investigation that would include testimony from pilots, airlines that fly the 787s and other expert witnesses.
“This needs a full investigation,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R).
second senate hearing
A second hearing before another committee also raised alarms about Boeing’s safety practices and stressed that workers felt pressured to push the planes through the production process, the Associated Press reported.
The hearings add to pressure on the company, which is still dealing with the aftermath of a Jan. 5 in-flight accident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max. Four bolts holding the door in place were blown off.
The NTSB’s preliminary report said there was no damage or deformation around the hole, “indicating that four bolts that prevent the (door) plug from moving upward before the plug moves upward away from the stop pad are missing.”
The incident has reignited major questions about safety practices that first arose after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 but later subsided amid the long-term grounding of the 737 MAX.
According to the opinion of the institution
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