Boeing Dismissed Former Employee’s Concern About Flaws in 787 Planes, Complaints Claim

By Trisha Andrada

Jun 27, 2024 01:05 AM EDT

Boeing 787 Dreamliners sit on the assembly line is pictured June 13, 2012 at the Boeing Factory in Everett, Washington. (Photo : Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

A mechanic contracted to repair 787 planes for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems in Everett, Washington, filed complaints with authorities after seeing subpar work and being terminated upon reporting the issues in the aircraft.

The whistleblower who had come forward on Wednesday, June 26, is Richard Cuevas, an employee of Spirit AeroSystems contractor Strom Aviation.

On behalf of Cuevas, attorneys at the law firm Katz Banks Kumin filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as reported by the Seattle Times.

Potential Defects in 787 Front Pressure Bulkhead

According to a news release by Katz Banks Kumin, Cuevas argues that Spirit modified production and assembly standards on drilling holes in the fasteners of the front pressure bulkhead of 787s without Boeing's consent. Cuevas, who first reported to Boeing via its ethics hotline in October 2023, claimed that this might endanger aircraft power and air pressure.

In the complaint filed to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, lawyers requested that the agency investigate potential defects in the 787 front pressure bulkhead.

In a CNN report, Boeing released a statement on Wednesday claiming that its engineers had investigated Cuevas' complaints and determined that the issues previously raised did not present a safety concern and were addressed. The statement did not mention Cuevas's name.

The company promised to evaluate any new claim following this complaint completely.

Dismissed After Raising Concerns

In March 2023, Cuevas started working at Boeing's hangar in Everett. While doing his main duty of removing and replacing cargo doors, he saw issues with three Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes.

According to him, he was sent to Wichita, Kansas, last September to work in a manufacturing factory for Atlas, another supplier of Spirit. He allegedly discovered production flaws in Wichita, including irregularly sized holes in the front pressure bulkhead. A month later, he went back to Everett to install the forward pressure bulkheads into planes, and he saw further problems, including employees cutting corners to speed up production.

Cuevas voiced his worries, but at the time, Boeing and Spirit were dealing with greater attention after the January incident on an Alaska Airlines flight, in which a panel blew off a 737-9 MAX jet mid-air.

After bringing up his concerns to the two firms, Cuevas claims that he was dismissed in March, the same day that FAA inspectors arrived at the Boeing hangar for a compliance check.

However, Boeing pointed out on Wednesday that it did not influence subcontractors' employment decisions.

Spirit spokesman Joe Buccino emailed to say the higher-ups have heard the claims and are investigating them. He urged any workers with issues to report them, assuring them they would be safeguarded.