(New York) The American aircraft manufacturer Boeing defended its criticized safety methods on its production lines on Monday, two days before a delicate hearing in Congress on the assertions of a whistleblower engineer concerning in particular the Dreamliner 787.
Boeing said it was “confident in the safety and durability of the 787 and 777,” the company said during a briefing with two senior engineers Monday. They disputed accusations that some 1,400 Boeing aircraft had significant security flaws.
During a briefing with two of its main engineers, the aircraft manufacturer highlighted the multiple test procedures to which these devices are subject to reiterate its “full confidence” in the 787.
A hearing is scheduled to be held Wednesday before a Senate subcommittee in Washington, titled “Examining Boeing’s Safety Culture Dysfunctions: Eyewitness Accounts.”
This will be an opportunity in particular to examine the accusations of whistleblower Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer. He reported that design and manufacturing defects in the fuselages of the 787 or Dreamliner, and the 777 could reduce the safety durability of these long-haul planes.
He claimed he suffered retaliation for speaking out about what he viewed as poor safety practices at Boeing.
The hearing comes as regulators and politicians step up scrutiny of the plane maker following a near-disastrous Jan. 5 flight on Alaska Airlines. A 737 MAX then lost a poorly sealed door in mid-flight, causing an emergency landing.
“Not surprised”
Mr. Salehpour’s accusations state that the 787 Dreamliner contains far greater than standard gaps between parts, which could “ultimately cause premature failure through wear and tear without any warning.”
The quality department engineer says this can create unsafe conditions and even “potentially catastrophic accidents,” according to an official federal complaint made public by the whistleblower’s lawyers.
Steve Chisholm, chief engineer of Boeing Mechanical and Structural Engineering, told reporters gathered at the Charleston, South Carolina, factory and via video conference that “there was no wear” seen during testing. .
“We weren’t surprised by the lack of wear results,” said Mr. Chisholm, who noted that the composite materials behind the 787 were chosen because they don’t corrode like traditional metals. .
Described by his lawyers as a veteran quality engineer at Boeing, Mr. Salehpour criticized Boeing for a series of “shortcuts” that “allowed potentially defective installations in 787 fleets,” according to the FAA complaint.
Boeing is going through a difficult time after several incidents.
These are now three of the four commercial aircraft models currently manufactured by the American group which are officially targeted by an investigation by the American Civil Aviation Regulatory Agency (FAA).
The American civil aviation regulator, which has closely monitored Boeing’s favorite 737 since January, is also investigating the 787 Dreamliner and the 777, the structural integrity of which has been called into question by this whistleblower.