Boeing Co., the American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, is facing another crisis.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into allegations that Boeing employees may have falsified records to conceal shortcuts taken in the maintenance of the wing attachment. This comes on top of an already challenging period for the company, marked by whistleblower deaths, falling fuselage incidents, and concerns over the safety of the Max 9 aircraft.
The company disclosed on Monday that it had alerted authorities to potentially incomplete inspections on the long-haul jetliner, triggering an investigation by the FAA. Although the latest mishaps do not pose an immediate flight safety issue, they are expected to disrupt factory operations as Boeing conducts tests on aircraft currently being assembled.
The most potentially damaging revelation is the suspicion that workers at the factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, may have falsified records to cover up their shortcuts. A review revealed that "several people" had not performed a required test during the wing attachment to the aircraft body, but recorded that work as having been completed, according to Boeing.
Scott Stocker, 787 vice president and general manager at Boeings assembly plant in North Charleston, sent a message to all employees there, informing them that one worker had noticed the required tests at the wing-to-body join were not being done and had raised the issue internally. His manager subsequently informed executives of the lapse.
Stocker wrote, After receiving the report, we quickly reviewed the matter and learned that several people had been violating Company policies by not performing a required test, but recording the work as having been completed. He added, Our engineering team has assessed that this misconduct did not create an immediate safety of flight issue. But it will impact our customers and factory teammates, because the test now needs to be conducted out of sequence on airplanes in the build process.
Stocker also praised the employees who brought this lapse in quality control to his attention. I wanted to personally thank and commend that teammate for doing the right thing, his message states. Its critical that every one of us speak up when we see something that may not look right.
This new concern is unrelated to the unsafe 787 fuselage gaps that Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour brought to Congress' attention. Salehpour, who was found dead from an apparent suicide a month later, is one of ten whistleblowers who have stepped forward against the company.
Salehpours attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks issued a statement on this latest charge, criticizing Boeing for creating a culture that has led its workers to falsify records.
While Boeing continues to defend its reputation and the integrity of its operations, these latest allegations add to the narrative that the company, once hailed as the standard-bearer in aviation, has lost its focus. The entire industry is grappling with these issues, as Boeing and airliners work to sift through the wreckage and restore trust in their operations.
Login