New Boeing Whistleblower Warns of Potentially 'Devastating Consequences' From Plane Flaws

Another day, different Boeing whistleblower.

Richard Cuevas, described by his lawyers arsenic an experienced mechanic and a 40-year seasoned of the hose industry, utilized to enactment for Strom, a contractor with Spirit, which is Boeing’s superior parts supplier. Cuevas says that during his clip with the company, helium saw “critical drilling and sealant issues” connected immoderate of the 787 Dreamliner craft that helium worked on. Specifically, what are called fastener holes located successful the plane’s guardant unit bulkhead—the likes of which assistance antithetic parts of an craft acceptable together—weren’t being drilled to the close specification, helium says, and were somewhat larger than they were expected to be. Those issues could person perchance led to “devastating consequences,” helium says, including the “compromise [of] powerfulness and aerial unit connected the planes.”

Shortly aft Cuevas filed a ailment with the Federal Aviation Administration’s morals section and brought the information issues up with his superiors, however, helium recovered himself retired of a job. Now, Cuevas and his lawyers person filed complaints with the FAA, arsenic good arsenic with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), urging the authorities to motorboat an probe into Dreamliner guardant unit bulkheads and asserting that Cuevas suffered “unlawful retaliation.”

“Our lawsuit witnessed captious issues with the guardant unit bulkhead assembly connected aggregate planes that deviated from Boeing’s specifications,” said Cuevas’ attorneys. “He recognized the substandard enactment and expressed interest astir his information concerns, but Spirit and Boeing failed to halt the faulty manufacturing processes. Mr. Cuevas was fired erstwhile his manager recovered retired that an worker complained astir these issues.”

Gizmodo reached retired to Boeing for remark connected this communicative and volition update it if the institution responds.

“A subcontractor’s worker antecedently reported concerns to america that we thoroughly investigated arsenic we instrumentality earnestly immoderate safety-related matter,” Boeing told CNN. “Engineering investigation determined that the issues raised did not contiguous a information interest and were addressed.”

Boeing has faced increasing scrutiny ever since a atrocious formation successful January successful which 1 of its planes mislaid portion of its hull. Since then, the institution has faced a whirlwind of atrocious property and aggregate national investigations. Justice Department lawyers recently said that the company’s information issues correspond a lapse of a 2021 deferred prosecution statement related to the 737 Max crashes, which could unfastened the institution up to transgression prosecution. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that U.S. prosecutors had recommended to apical Justice Department officials that transgression charges beryllium brought against Boeing.