US Senate worried: whistleblowers warn of defects in Boeing

Monday, December 13, 2021

US Senate worried
Whistleblowers warn of faults at Boeing

After two plane crashes with the Boeing 737 MAX with hundreds of deaths, the airline is in trouble again. According to a media report, an engineer points to the lack of safety and quality in the “Dreamliner” and a “dangerous” corporate culture.

Airline Boeing is facing serious allegations of deficiencies in its safety culture, including the production of 787 long-range aircraft, according to a “Spiegel” report. Among other things, this was raised by an engineer from the American manufacturer in a complaint to the FAA, submitted by “Spiegel”. “Boeing Group’s top management still does not take responsibility for the effectiveness of the quality system,” the magazine quotes from an October 25 letter. This corporate culture is “not conducive to the required safety of aviation products”. Quite the contrary: it is “dangerous”.

The German-born man is a top-class engineer who works at Boeing in Seattle and is responsible for quality control of several suppliers of long-range aircraft 787s (“Dreamliners”). The technician also made a statement to the US Senate, which should be published in a report on Monday.

The allegations hit Boeing at an inappropriate time, the magazine continues. The 787 model is currently facing huge delays in delivery due to faulty components. A US Senate report, a draft of which is available for “Spiegel”, has suggested a connection with Bickballer’s statements. “According to Dr. Martin Bickballer, problems with the supply chain of the 787 trace back to deadline pressure and are therefore directly related to current production issues for this aircraft,” the report said.

Boeing has dismissed allegations of bikeballers and other whistleblowers against “Spiegel.” A company spokesman said safety and quality were top priorities at Boeing. The company takes whistleblower information seriously and is investigating the allegations carefully. With regard to existing technical problems with the 787, it is in the process of completing a supply chain investigation and is in constant contact with the FAA. “Based on the analyses, none of the discoveries endanger the flight safety of the fleet,” a Boeing spokesperson was quoted as saying.