Calls for decommissioning

Boeing engineer warns: Dreamliner jet dangerous!

(Bild: APA/AFP/STR)

After a series of sometimes very dangerous technical defects, the US aviation authority has been keeping a close eye on production and quality assurance at aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The FBI is also investigating. Now the company is facing harsh accusations from one of its own engineers. In his opinion, all 787 Dreamliner passenger jets worldwide should be withdrawn.

There could be too many gaps between parts of the fuselage. This could even break apart during a flight, said Sam Salehpour on Tuesday evening on the TV station NBC News. "I think the entire global fleet needs attention," said the man, who has been employed by Boeing for over ten years, urging caution. The gaps he mentioned should be checked.

A Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in an archive image from 2017

(Bild: AP)

Engineer would not put his family on a jet
The engineer's accusations were made public last week by a report in the New York Times. He accuses the US company of ignoring his repeated serious warnings about safety and quality control when assembling the 777 and 787 models. Asked whether he would put his family on a 787, Salehpour said: "At the moment, I wouldn't."

In January, a 737 MAX lost a cabin door cover.

(Bild: 2024 NTSB)

The whistleblower, who was also invited to a congressional hearing on Wednesday, also claimed that he and his colleagues were being pressured "to close their eyes". After his warnings about the Dreamliner 787, Salehpour was sanctioned by being transferred against his will from the department responsible for this model to the 777 program, according to the letter. There were also deficiencies in the assembly of the 777 model. Boeing rejected the allegations. Long-term tests between 2010 and 2015 had shown "no material fatigue".

Long series of breakdowns
In recent months, there has been a whole series of technical breakdowns on Boeing aircraft. In January, a 737 MAX lost a cabin door cover, in March a wheel came loose during the take-off of a 777, and at the beginning of April the take-off of a 737 had to be aborted due to an engine fire. A 737 also recently had to turn back because the engine cowling had come loose.