Whistleblower outlines safety concern about Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour said assembly flaws could cause the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to fall apart midflight. Boeing says the plane is structurally sound.
A Boeing engineer-turned-whistleblower who contends that the aerospace giant’s 787 Dreamliner is unsafe to fly due to assembly flaws doubled down on his claims Tuesday, saying that the plane could fall apart and “drop to the ground” midflight unless the alleged safety problems are addressed.
Boeing disputed the claims on Tuesday, saying the plane is safe and the company is “fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner.”
Boeing quality engineer Sam Salehpour spoke to “NBC Nightly News” in his first on-camera interview since raising his allegations publicly last week. He said the company has yet to properly address tiny nonconforming gaps found in multiple planes after two sections of their fuselages were joined together during assembly. Salehpour said such “safety issues” could lead to catastrophic outcomes.
When asked if he would put his own family on a 787 right now, Salehpour didn’t hesitate. “Right now, I would not,” he said.
Salehpour is expected to testify before a U.S. Senate subcommittee Wednesday.
Rating: 5