Boeing Engineer Says Company Used Shortcuts to Fix 787 Jets

A veteran Boeing engineer has filed a complaint with federal regulators alleging the company dismissed quality and safety concerns during production of itstroubled 787 Dreamliner jets.

Federal safety officials are investigating claims by the engineer, Sam Salehpour, that in 2021 he observed Boeing using shortcuts during the 787 assembly process that placed excessive stress on important joints and embedded drilling debris between joints on more than 1,000 planes. The errors, they say, reduce the plane’s lifespan and could be difficult to detect.

“I’m doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and to prevent crashes from happening,” Salehpour said on a call with reporters to discuss the claims. Boeing, in a statement, said the claims are inaccurate and that the company is confident in the safety of the jets, which it says are subject to rigorous oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration. It said the issues had been previously raised and properly addressed. “This analysis has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades,” the company said.

“We continue to monitor these issues under established regulatory protocols and encourage all employees to speak up when issues arise.”