Senate Commerce Committee to Investigate Boeing Safety Culture Report

The US Senate Commerce Committee announced on Thursday that it will hold a hearing on Boeing’s safety culture report. The US Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday comes amid Boeing’s safety crisis. Last January, a panel blew off mid-flight on a 737 Max 9 aircraft. 

Safety Issues

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the whistleblower’s claims that the 787 Dreamliner has improperly assembled parts on its main body that could potentially break apart. 

In the report, engineer Sam Salehpour claims that the fuselage parts don’t fit since they were manufactured by different companies and were only forced together using substandard procedures. 

Salaehpour said that he exposed Boeing “not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent the crashes from happening.”

In a statement, Boeing denied the claims about the structural integrity of the 787. The company said that these are “inaccurate.” 

The FAA didn’t comment on the latest allegations. However, the agency said that it “thoroughly investigates all reports.” 

Shortcuts Taken By Boeing

Salehpour’s lawyer, Debra Katz, said that Salehpour saw “shortcuts taken by Boeing” in their assembly process. The whistleblower specifically points out the gaps between the 787 fuselage. Salehpour said that Boeing “push(ed) the pieces together with force to make it appear that the gap didn’t exist.” 

Boeing added, “This analysis has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades.”

Salehpour responded that Boeing’s response was “baseless” and “alarming.”

Committee Hearing

Salehpoud, who is still employed by Boeing, reported these concerns for three years. However, he experienced retaliation from his direct supervisor and Boeing senior management. He was also threatened with termination, according to Katz. 

Boeing’s spokesperson said, “retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing.” The spokesperson also added, “We continue to monitor these issues under established regulatory protocols and encourage all employees to speak up when issues arise.”