The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating claims by Boeing engineers that parts of the 787 Dreamliner's fuselage are improperly secured and could disintegrate mid-flight after thousands of flights. .
Sam Salepour, an engineer who worked on the plane, detailed his charges in an interview with The New York Times and in a letter sent to the FAA. An FAA spokesperson confirmed that the agency is investigating the allegations, but declined to comment on them.
Salepour, who has worked for Boeing for more than 10 years, said the problem stems from changes in the way huge sections are installed and secured on the assembly line. An airplane's fuselage is made up of several parts, all from different manufacturers, and the parts that fit together are not exactly the same shape, he said.
Boeing acknowledged that manufacturing changes were made, but company spokesman Paul Lewis said “the durability or safe lifespan of the aircraft was not affected.”
Lewis said that after extensive testing of the Dreamliner, Boeing “determined that this was not an immediate flight safety issue.”
“Our engineers are completing a complex analysis to determine whether there are long-term fatigue concerns in any area of the aircraft,” Lewis said. “This will not be an issue for the active fleet for many years to come, even if it becomes an issue. We intend to expedite our team to ensure the analysis is comprehensive. there is no.”
In a subsequent statement, Boeing said it “has complete confidence in the 787 Dreamliner,” adding, “These claims about the 787's structural integrity are inaccurate and that we are working hard to ensure quality and long-term service.” It does not represent the comprehensive effort Boeing has made to date.” Aircraft safety. ”
Salepour's allegations add another layer to the scrutiny Boeing has faced since a door panel was blown off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in early January, raising questions about the company's manufacturing practices. It's causing it. Since then, the plane maker has announced a management shake-up and the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation.
Salepour's concerns will be aired on Parliament House. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Investigations, is scheduled to hold a hearing with Salepour on April 17. Blumenthal said he wanted the public to hear directly from the engineer. .
“Boeing's repeated and shocking allegations of manufacturing defects demonstrate an appalling lack of safety culture and practices that put profits above all else,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
The Dreamliner is a wide-body jet aircraft that, thanks to its lightweight composite construction, is more fuel efficient than many other aircraft used for long-distance travel. First delivered in 2011, the twin-aisle jet attracted orders for Boeing and created a headache for the company.
For years, the airline has been grappling with a series of problems with its 787 planes, including battery issues that led to a temporary grounding of the jets around the world and, more recently, quality concerns that led to an extended halt in deliveries.
Boeing is also facing a number of problems at its South Carolina plant, which makes the Dreamliner. John Barnett, a prominent Boeing whistleblower who raised concerns about manufacturing practices at the plant, was found dead last month from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Dreamliner pioneered the extensive use of so-called composite materials, rather than traditional metals, in the construction of the aircraft, including major parts such as the fuselage, also known as the aircraft body. Composite materials, which are often made from a combination of materials such as carbon and fiberglass, are lighter than metals, but because they are relatively new materials, little is known about how they withstand long-term stresses during flight. It has not been done. These stresses cause what engineers call fatigue, which can compromise safety if it causes material failure.
Salepour said he was repeatedly retaliated against after raising concerns about the shortcuts Boeing appears to be taking in joining the Dreamliner's fuselage sections.
Salepour's attorney, Debra S. Katz, said her client raised concerns with supervisors and tried to discuss them in safety meetings, but company officials wouldn't listen. Instead, she said, Salepour forced her into silence and she was transferred to work on another wide-body aircraft, the 777. Salepour said that after her transfer, she discovered further problems with the way Boeing assembled the fuselages of its 777 planes.
“This is a culture that Boeing has allowed to persist,” Katz said. “This is a culture that prioritizes production of airplanes and takes them off the line, even when there are serious concerns about the structural integrity of the airplane and its manufacturing process.”
Boeing said in a statement that it encourages employees to “speak up when issues arise” and that retaliation is “strictly prohibited.”
Katz said the FAA met with Salepour on Friday. In response to questions about the Dreamliner, the agency's administrator, Mike Whitaker, reiterated that regulators are taking a tough stance against Boeing following the Alaska Airlines incident.
“This is not a return to business as usual for Boeing,” Whitaker said in a statement. “They need to commit to real, fundamental improvements. Making fundamental changes will require sustained effort from Boeing leadership, and we will hold them accountable every step of the way.” intend to.”
Salepour said the shortcut he believes Boeing took resulted in excessive force being applied to narrow unnecessary gaps in the assembly connecting parts of the Dreamliner's fuselage. He said the force causes deformation in the composite material, increasing the effects of fatigue and potentially leading to premature failure of the composite material.
John Cox, a former airline pilot who runs a safety consulting firm, said composite materials can withstand excess force better than metals, but it's unlikely that the stress would be enough to cause the composite to fail. “They just snap,” he said.
“A catastrophic breakup on a plane is theoretically possible,” Cox said. “That’s why we want to conduct testing to prevent that.”
Cox said Boeing's tests were a good move because “if enough degradation occurs, it could lead to catastrophic failure.”
kitty bennett Contributed to research.