Boeing Engineer Says Company Used Shortcuts to Fix 787 Jets

Federal safety officials are investigating claims by the engineer, Sam Salehpour, that in 2021 he observed Boeing using shortcuts during the 787 assembly process that placed excessive stress on important joints and embedded drilling debris between joints on more than 1,000 planes. The errors, they say, reduce the plane’s lifespan and could be difficult to detect. 

In a letter his lawyers sent in January to the FAA, Salehpour claimed that in 2021 Boeing improperly addressed small gaps where the plane comes together, and that the company’s internal reports show that the gaps weren’t fixed at all in some sections. The problems, he said, could eventually cause the plane’s fuselage to break apart.