It just keeps on going from bad to worse for embattled US aircraft maker Boeing, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday it is investigating whistleblower claims over the safety and quality of its airplanes.But instead of the 737 Max, this time it’s over the company’s 777 and 787 Dreamliner jets.Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour claims he faced retaliation, threats and exclusion from meetings after he identified engineering problems he alleges affect the structural integrity of the jets in addition to shortcuts Boeing employed to reduce bottlenecks assembling the 787.."I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align,"Whistleblower Sam Salehpour .Shipments of the 787 Dreamliner were previously halted for more than a year in August 2022 as part of an FAA investigation into quality control issues and manufacturing flaws related to gaps in body panels.In 2021, Boeing said some 787 airplanes had improperly-sized shims that did not meet ‘skin-flatness’ specifications. Salehpour said the shortcuts used to reduce bottlenecks during the 787 manufacturing process resulted in "excessive stress on major airplane joints and embedded drilling debris between key joints on more than 1,000 planes," his lawyers said.He told reporters on Tuesday that he saw problems with ‘misalignment’ in the 777 that were ‘remedied’ by using force."I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align," he said..According to anonymous sources, the FAA has met with the whistleblower to discuss his concerns."Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety," the FAA said. "We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information. We thoroughly investigate all reports."In a statement, Boeing said it was fully confident in the quality of the 787 Dreamliner and said that Salehpour’s claims "are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."It comes after the company continues to take flack over ongoing issues with its 737 Max.In the latest of a near-daily barrage of safety incidents, on Tuesday an Air Canada 737 Max 8 was forced to make an emergency landing in Boise, ID after a warning light flashed in the cockpit during a flight from Mexico City to Vancouver.The issue was determined to be a faulty cargo hold indicator and none of the 128 passengers and crew onboard were determined to be under any threat. It comes after a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 returned safely to Denver on Sunday after the cowling on an engine cover fell off and struck the wing flap during takeoff, according to the FAA.Airline executives have expressed growing frustration with Boeing that even minor incidents involving company jets are attracting extra unwanted attention.
