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Boeing Defends 787 Dreamliner Integrity Amid Whistleblower Claims

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted April 16, 2024

Boeing has responded to allegations concerning the structural integrity of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft, stressing their safety and robustness in quality testing.

These assertions come in the wake of claims by Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour.

He accused the company of employing "shortcuts" in the production process that might compromise the longevity of the aircraft.

Salehpour's allegations surfaced publicly last week.

They suggest the assembly process for the 787 Dreamliner could be exerting undue stress on aircraft joints, potentially diminishing the planes' service lives.

Boeing firmly refuted these claims as "inaccurate" and expressed confidence in the safety of its aircraft.

This controversy coincides with a period of heightened scrutiny for Boeing following an incident in January where a door plug of a 737 Max aircraft dislodged mid-flight.

The mishap brought the safety of Boeing’s aircraft under closer examination.

The Federal Aviation Administration has since restricted Boeing from increasing the production rate of the 737 Max.

In a detailed briefing with reporters, Boeing engineering managers outlined the rigorous safety and stress tests applied to the 787 models.

These tests included simulating 165,000 flight cycles and impacting the fuselage skin with a 300-pound pendulum.

Steve Chisholm, Boeing’s chief mechanical and structural engineer, illustrated the company's testing rigor by noting that even intentionally induced damage in test panels did not propagate through repeated testing.

Regarding Salehpour’s specific concerns about the improper alignment of the 787’s carbon composite fuselage sections, Boeing dismissed the notion that this issue poses any risk to the aircraft's structural integrity or safety.

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In response to the claims, Boeing said: “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.

“The issues raised have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight.

“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 matter has attracted legislative attention, with Salehpour slated to testify at a Senate hearing titled “Examining Boeing’s Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts,” where issues of aircraft safety and corporate culture within Boeing will be further explored.

Salehpour’s legal team has accused Boeing of retaliatory actions against him, including exclusion from meetings and reassignment to different projects.

While Boeing has declined to comment on these specific allegations due to the ongoing FAA investigation, it reiterated its policy against retaliation.

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