New Boeing Whistleblower Comes Forward

Another new Boeing whistleblower has come forth, claiming the plane manufacturer ignored safety concerns during the production of its 787 and 777 jetliners, according to a Federal Aviation Administration complaint.

Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour, who worked on the 787 Dreamliner, told The New York Times that large sections of the plane's fuselage, which come in several pieces from different manufacturers, don't exactly fit together.

Salehpour's lawyers told The Hill on Tuesday that the engineer witnessed Boeing using shortcuts to cut production costs on the 787 — drastically reducing the plane's lifespan.

"Our client," attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said in a statement, "identified serious safety concerns and did everything possible to bring those concerns to the attention of Boeing officials."

"Rather than heeding his warnings, Boeing prioritized getting the planes to market as quickly as possible, despite the known, well-substantiated issues Mr. Salehpour raised."

Salehpour is the second Boeing whistleblower to come forward in recent months. John Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower and quality manager who made headlines in March, was found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot. The Charleston County, South Carolina Coroner's office ruled that Barnett's death appeared to be "a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound," according to a Times report. Following his death, a close family friend of Barnett recalled to local Charleston ABC 4 News outlet the Boeing engineer telling her, "If anything happens, it's not suicide."

Boeing later told The Times it was "fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner," and that "these claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."

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