Boeing mentioned it isn’t concerned in personnel selections of subcontracts (file).
New York:
One other whistleblower stepped ahead Wednesday alleging he was retaliated in opposition to after flagging doubtlessly harmful manufacturing issues on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Richard Cuevas filed complaints with two US companies alleging he was dismissed instantly in March 2024 after elevating considerations over manufacturing deviations within the ahead stress bulkhead, which is important to managing stress throughout flights, in accordance with attorneys Katz Banks Kumin.
Cuevas is the most recent whistleblower to come back ahead from Boeing’s operations, including to scrutiny of the aircraft maker following a January inflight incident on a 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airways that required an emergency touchdown.
Cuevas labored as a contractor for Strom, who assigned him to Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the Dreamliner.
In October 2023, Cuevas filed an ethics grievance with Boeing, alleging Spirit had made unauthorized adjustments to fastener gap dimensions within the ahead stress bulkhead on 787 plane with out notifying Boeing.
“Our shopper witnessed important points with the ahead stress bulkhead meeting on a number of planes that deviated from Boeing’s specs,” mentioned a press release from Katz Banks Kumin.
“He acknowledged the substandard work and expressed concern about his security considerations, however Spirit and Boeing didn’t cease the defective manufacturing processes. Mr. Cuevas was fired when his supervisor came upon that an worker complained about these points, and suspected that worker was Mr. Cuevas.”
The attorneys filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Occupational Well being and Security Administration, saying within the latter submission that Cuevas believes that “based mostly on his direct observations of evident questions of safety, that Boeing’s and Spirit’s statements to the general public and buyers in regards to the security of 787 Dreamliners are fraudulent.”
The attorneys additionally signify Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer who testified in April within the Senate about considerations over 787 manufacturing practices and that he was retaliated in opposition to for talking.
Boeing mentioned it isn’t concerned in personnel selections of subcontracts.
“A subcontractor’s worker beforehand reported considerations to us that we completely investigated as we take severely any safety-related matter. Engineering evaluation decided that the problems raised didn’t current a security concern and have been addressed,” Boeing mentioned. “We’re reviewing the paperwork launched at the moment and can completely examine any new declare.”
Spirit “management is conscious of the allegations and searching into the matter,” mentioned firm spokesperson Joe Buccino. “We encourage all Spirit staff with considerations to come back ahead, protected in understanding they are going to be protected.”
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
