WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Just ahead of Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun's testimony in front of a Senate committee, new whistleblowers are coming forward with allegations that the aerospace company may have used "nonconforming" parts on airplanes and sought to eliminate quality inspections.
A new whistleblower and current employee, identified in a Senate press release as Sam Mohawk, alleged that Boeing would improperly document, track and store parts that were damaged or "out of specification," and that some of those parts would still end up on airplanes.
Mohawk is one of multiple whistleblowers who have voiced concerns over the company's treatment of nonconforming parts. Former Boeing employee Merle Meyers said employees would use "bootleg forms" to track parts taken from the company's reclamation area - saying that the time and money required to manufacture a new part justified their use.
Multiple whistleblowers who expressed concern about the company's practices also cited retaliation by their superiors after voicing their concerns.
Another new whistleblower, who has chosen to remain anonymous, reported concerns that Boeing was attempting to eliminate quality inspections and instead relied on employees to inspect their work and the work of their coworkers. The FAA has previously raised concerns about Boeing's quality inspection efforts dating back to 2021.
The renewed scrutiny of the aerospace manufacturing company comes after a door plug ripped away from a 737 Max 9 jet in January while the plane was at 16,000 feet. A preliminary report by the NTSB found that the door plug had undergone work at the company's Renton factory, and it was installed without bolts which were supposed to secure the door plug to the jet.
In response to the allegations, the company issued a statement which read:
“We received this document late Monday evening and are reviewing the claims. We continuously encourage employees to report all concerns as our priority is to ensure the safety of our airplanes and the flying public.”
Calhoun, who is stepping down as Boeing CEO later this year, will testify in front of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on Tuesday about the company's plans to fix their manufacturing issues.
The Department of Justice is currently weighing whether or not to file criminal charges against the company, saying Boeing violated a Deferred Prosecution Agreement to avoid charges in two deadly 737 Max 8 crashes that took the lives of 346 people.