Boeing 787 Dreamliner under scrutiny: Whistleblower signaled alarming concerns, warned 'catastrophic failure'
PTC News Desk: Ahmedabad plan crash which claimed hundreds of lives and the death toll is most likely to increase as we report has once again put Boeing 787 Dreamliner under scrutiny. The London-bound aircraft carrying 242 passengers crashed shortly after taking off near a residential neighbourhood, ruminating thick plumes of smoke into the air triggering a massive rescue operation.
In 2024, Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour raised serious concerns about the structural integrity of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He accused the American aircraft manufacturer of cutting corners in the production of the aircraft model's fuselage and cautioned that such practices could result in catastrophic failures over time. In response, the US Federal Aviation Administration initiated an investigation into the matter.
"I want to make clear that I have raised these issues over 3 years. I was ignored. I was told not to create delays. I was told, frankly, to shut up."
WATCH: Boeing Whistleblower Sam Salehpour testifies Wednesday in front of Congress. pic.twitter.com/BSnkD6Itfq — MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 17, 2024
A year later, Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as Flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Airport. The aircraft, carrying 242 passengers and crew, plummeted into the city's Meghani Nagar area, killing more than 200.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long-range, wide-body jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Introduced into service in 2011, it was designed to offer greater fuel efficiency, improved passenger comfort, and more cost-effective operations than its predecessors.
In January 2024, engineer Sam Salehpour, who had worked at Boeing for over ten years, raised concerns that improperly secured fuselage sections during the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's assembly could compromise the aircraft’s structural integrity over time. He warned that such defects might eventually cause the aircraft to break apart mid-flight after repeated use. These claims, made in interviews with The New York Times and in a formal complaint to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), triggered an ongoing investigation into Boeing’s production practices.
Salehpour also extended his concerns to Boeing's 777 jets. He alleged that excessive force was used to fit together fuselage parts, creating gaps in joints and potentially causing early wear in the composite materials. His complaint described how workers were sometimes instructed to physically jump on parts to force misaligned sections into place during the 787's assembly process.
- With inputs from agencies
