SAN FRANCISCO– A Senate subcommittee has called Boeing CEO David Calhoun to testify about the company’s jetliners in an investigation following new safety-related allegations from a whistleblower.
The panel said it will hold a hearing next week with a Boeing quality engineer, Sam Salehpour, who is expected to explain safety issues related to the production and assembly of the 787 Dreamliner. The subcommittee said in a letter that these problems could cause “potentially catastrophic safety risks.”
Boeing would not say whether Calhoun plans to attend the April 17 hearing. In response to a question from The Associated Press, a spokesperson said only that the company is cooperating with the subcommittee’s investigation and “has offered to provide documents, testimony and technical briefings.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has also been investigating Salehpour’s allegations since February, according to the subcommittee. The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Salehpour, whose concerns were addressed in a New York Times article on Tuesday, is also expected to detail the retaliation he faced after raising his concerns.
According to that account, Salehpour was working on the 787 but became concerned about changes in the assembly of the fuselage, the main body of the aircraft. That process involves assembling and attaching giant sections of the fuselage, each produced by a different company, according to Salehpour’s report.
Salehpour told the Times he believed Boeing took shortcuts that led to excessive force in the assembly process, causing deformations in the composite material used in the plane’s outer skin. Such composites often consist of plastic layers reinforced by a carbon or glass fiber mesh, which increases tensile strength and makes them a useful alternative to heavier metals.
But composites can lose these benefits if they are twisted or otherwise deformed. Salehpour claimed that such problems could lead to increased material fatigue, potentially leading to premature failure of the composite, according to the Times report. During thousands of flights, those parts of the fuselage can fall apart in flight.
According to Salehpour’s account, Boeing not only failed to take his concerns seriously, but also silenced him and transferred him to another jet, a move he made in retaliation.
In a 1,500-word statement, Boeing said it had “full confidence” in the 787 and called concerns about its structural integrity “inaccurate.” Boeing added that the issues raised in the Times story “do not pose any safety concerns” and said the 787 “will maintain its service life for decades.”
“Retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing,” the company added in the statement, noting that it encourages employees to “make their voices heard when issues arise.”
Boeing’s safety record has been under scrutiny since a door panel on a 737 Max 9 plane exploded over Oregon in early January. The panel freed up space for an additional emergency door on the plane, which was operated by Alaska Airlines. Pilots were able to land safely and no injuries were reported.
But the subsequent discovery by accident investigators of missing bolts intended to secure the panel rocked Boeing, which once had an enviable safety culture. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines – the two US airlines that fly the Max 9 – also reported finding loose bolts and other hardware in other panels, indicating that quality problems with the door plugs were not limited to one aircraft.
Both the 787 and 737 Max were plagued by production defects that sporadically held up deliveries and left airlines without planes during peak travel seasons.
Calhoun, the CEO, announced in March that he will retire at the end of this year. That followed the departure of another high-ranking Boeing executive and the decision of Boeing’s chairman not to seek re-election in May.