[Article publié le jeudi 27 juin à 8h37, mis à jour à 11h42]Boeing is once again singled out by a whistleblower. His name is Richard Cuevas and he worked for Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing’s main subcontractor, on a contract basis but not as an employee, according to his lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks. He contacted the American Civil Aviation Regulatory Agency (FAA) because, in the context of his work repairing Boeing planes, he said he observed practices “ below standards » quality concerning a fuselage bulkhead of the manufacturer’s long-haul model, the 787.
Concretely, according to him, workers would have drilled too large holes in this part of the device, which led to a risk of electrical failure and depressurization in flight. He specifies that he has observed these defects on three planes and estimates that at least 10 to 12 787 models could be affected. He also indicates that he witnessed the improper application of a waterproofing coating.
Following these findings, the mechanic made a report to Spirit AeroSystems, then to Boeing. But neither company “has not corrected these practices”according to his lawyers. Worse: “Richard Cuevas was fired (in March 2024) after his manager suspected him of having initiated the report,” they say.
Safety: Boeing boss admits the “seriousness” of the situation
Boeing and its subcontractor defend themselves
Boeing defended itself, telling AFP that it had carried out investigations after a report by a “contract worker of a subcontractor”. He says he has ” treaty ” the questions raised by this report, “which did not present a security risk”.
“We are reviewing the documents submitted today and will investigate any further reports,” added the aircraft manufacturer.
For its part, a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems declared that « [ses] officials are informed of these allegations and are investigating them. And to add: “We encourage all Spirit employees to raise any concerns they may have, knowing they will be protected.”
This is not the first time that whistleblowers have spoken out against the American aircraft manufacturer. In mid-April, four others, including an engineer and former Boeing employees, testified before a US Senate investigative committee to warn of “serious problems” production on Boeing 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft.
Boeing safety: chilling testimonies from former employees to the US Senate
Thus, Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer with the manufacturer for ten years, had warned the FAA that Boeing had, “repeatedly ignored serious concerns about safety and quality control in the construction of the 787 and 777,” according to a letter dated January 17. He explained that he had noticed “shortcuts” in the assembly process of the Dreamliner which notably caused a “deformation of composite materials (…), which can alter wear performance in the long term”.
Concerning the 777, he asserted that “new assembly procedures” implemented without proceeding “the necessary redesign of the parts concerned led to poor alignment of the parts”. And, according to him, “Boeing engineers were pressured to turn a blind eye” while this “also constitutes a serious security risk”.
Boeing in turbulence
Boeing has been going through one of the most turbulent periods in its history in recent years. There were in particular the two fatal accidents with its 737 MAX 8, in 2018 and 2019, causing 346 victims in total – families of victims are also demanding a criminal trial against the group and its managers as well as a fine of almost 25 billion dollars. Then, throughout 2023, Boeing suffered production problems on several of these models. The incident of January 5 – the door of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 came off in mid-flight – was one too many and ignited the situation.
Boeing could escape criminal trial, US Department of Justice denies
In the process, investigations were opened by regulators, justice and parliamentary committees. Several audits and investigations have thus identified numerous problems of ” noncompliance “ and defects, particularly in quality control.
The group handed over on May 30 “a complete action plan”, required by the FAA, to remedy these problems. According to Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial aviation branch since the end of March, it is structured around four categories: “significant investments” in staff training, “simplification of the industrial process”, the “strengthening the safety and quality culture” as well as “specific measures” control and management of the state of the production system. In the meantime, the regulator has frozen the manufacturing rate of the 737 MAX, its flagship aircraft.
All this context unsurprisingly weighs on the group’s activity. It only received three net orders in May and delivered only 24 commercial aircraft, according to figures published in mid-June. Since the start of 2024, Boeing has received 142 gross orders (103 net) and delivered 131 aircraft. And its order book stood at 6,188 aircraft at the end of May. For comparison, over the same period, its European competitor Airbus recorded 237 net orders and delivered 256 aircraft to its customers. Its order book also stood at 8,579 aircraft at the end of May.
Boeing assures that it will return to a normal production rate of 737 “within a few months”
Despite its setbacks, the American aircraft manufacturer remains optimistic. The production rate of the 737, Boeing’s flagship aircraft, should return to normal soon, according to the director of the manufacturer’s factory located near Seattle.
« Production on all three assembly lines has slowed ” to implement measures intended to improve production quality, explained Katie Ringgold, vice president and general manager of the 737 program as well as director of the Renton factory (northwest), where this family of The devices are produced. But The production ” gradually increases to return to 38 “, she indicated, specifying that this objective would be achieved “ within a few months ».
« I don’t think this will happen in the next few months », However, said Mike Whitaker, head of the FAA, on May 30, specifying that the regulator now certified each 737 MAX before any entry into service.
(With AFP)
