By Mike Murphy
Boeing denies allegations, says analysis found no safety concerns
A whistleblower has reportedly complained to federal regulators that Boeing Co. overlooked safety concerns in the production of its 787 Dreamliner jets.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating claims made by Sam Salehpour, a veteran Boeing engineer, who said the plane maker used shortcuts during the 787 assembly process that could critically strain fasteners in the planes’ fuselage. He claimed the strained joints could reduce the planes’ lifespan and potentially cause catastrophic damage.
Boeing denied the allegations, and said it is “fully confident” in the 787 Dreamliner.
“These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft,” Boeing said in a statement. Boeing said the issues raised have been subject to “rigorous” testing and analysis, which “has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades.”
Boeing stock (BA) fell about 2% on Tuesday.
Dreamliner deliveries were suspended for about two years starting in 2020 due to production and regulatory issues. Production was halted again last year for about a month, after a documentation and data-analysis error was found.
The whistleblower allegations are the latest bit of troubling news for Boeing, which has been wracked in recent months by safety and quality issues, particularly concerning its 737 Max aircraft. Production of new planes has slowed, and Boeing Chief Executive David Calhoun has announced he’ll step down at the end of the year.
Earlier Tuesday, Boeing reported its worst quarterly delivery numbers in nearly three years.
Boeing shares have fallen for seven straight sessions, and are down 32% year to date, compared to the S&P 500’s SPX 9% gain this year.