Latest news with #Salehpour
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Air India plane crash: Publish Boeing report immediately, says whistleblower's lawyer to US Federal Aviation Administration
Representative image LONDON: Attorneys for Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour have written to the Federal Aviation Administration urging it to immediately release its findings on structural defects alleged by Salehpour regarding Boeing's 787 aircraft in light of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. Boeing quality engineer Salehpour had, in early 2024 alleged serious quality issues with Boeing's 787 and 777 aeroplanes, which, he had claimed, may compromise the safety and lifespan of the aircraft. The Air India aircraft that crashed soon after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12 was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The letter from Salehpour's lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, sent right after the news of the AI-171 crash broke, states that Salehpour had raised concerns about the "structural integrity of Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft and Boeing's manufacturing processes" as well as the "company's overall safety culture". As a result of his whistleblowing, the Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into Boeing in March 2024. In Dec 2024, the lead FAA investigator informed them the investigation was "complete" and had expressed "appreciation for Salehpour's identification of important safety issues". "He assured us the report would be issued imminently. We understood from his comments that many of Salehpour's concerns had been substantiated. We awaited the release of the report and yet, nearly six months later, it has not seen the light of day," the letter states. It points out that on Thursday, the world learned of "yet another tragic disaster involving the same 787 aircraft that Salehpour identified as flawed". "No one can truly understand the risks resulting from Boeing's manufacturing processes until FAA releases its investigative report. FAA must immediately publish the report without further delay," it concludes. Salehpour, a veteran engineer at Boeing with more than four decades of experience, has testified before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee regarding his allegations. His claims are that he observed shortcuts employed by Boeing to reduce bottlenecks during the 787 assembly process that placed excessive stress on major aeroplane joints and embedded drilling debris between key joints on more than 1,000 planes. When he reported these concerns internally, he alleges that he was threatened with termination and excluded from important meetings. "FAA must assure public that Boeing 787 is safe," Banks told TOI. "While it may take months or years to determine the cause of the Air India crash, we know that there is an important report sitting on a desk at FAA about the 787 that needs to become public. We urge the FAA to release its findings." Federal Aviation Administration did not respond to a request for comment.
Mint
13 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
‘I want to prevent crashes': When Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour warned about ‘catastrophic' event a year ago
Air India Plane Crash: The Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a model that whistleblowers had already been expressing concerns about. In 2024, Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour's concerns about the 787 Dreamliner jet's design had made US federal authorities launch an investigation into the company, multiple reports from that year say. He had alleged last year that Boeing used 'shortcuts' in the making of the aircraft model's fuselage. A year later, an ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft of Air India crashed in Ahmedabad, taking away lives of 241 people on board and injuring scores others as it fell on a building full of people. The cause of the plane crash, however, has not been identified yet as authorities continue to investigate the deadly accident. In his formal complaint to the Federal Aviation Administration, which was made public in April 2024, Sam Salehpour had alleged that the crews that assembled the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft failed to properly fill small gaps as they joined separately manufactured parts of the fuselage. While Boeing claimed its 787 aircraft to have 50-year lifespan, this mistake could put more wear on the plane, he alleged. It would mean that the aircraft's lifespan would be shortened, resulting in 'catastrophic events', Salehpour's lawyers had said. The Air India plane that crashed on Thursday was operating for 11 years. 'I am doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent crashes from happening,' Salehpour had told reporters last year. 'The truth is Boeing can't keep going the way it is. It needs to do a little bit better, I think,' he added. The claims that Salehpour had made last year were not entirely new and the FAA had paused Boeing from delivering the Dreamliner aircraft for nearly two years starting 2021 while it was investigating possible shortcomings. Boeing had claimed it 'incorporated the join inspection and verification activity' into its production system. But Salehpour's attorneys said that the FAA was surprised to see through his complaint that the shortcomings were still an issue. 'I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align,' Salehpour said. 'By jumping up and down, you're deforming parts so that the holes align temporarily … and that's not how you build an airplane.'
Metro
a day ago
- General
- Metro
Warning Boeing whistleblower made last year resurfaces after Air India crash
A stark warning made by a Boeing whistleblower has resurfaced after a London-bound passenger plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India. The Air India plane, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, took off at 1.38pm local time only to begin plummeting 30 seconds later. The Boeing 787 hit the top floor of a medical college a mile southwest of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport before crashing. Follow Metro's blog for live coverage and updates from the Air India crash Air India said that the plane's passengers and crew members included 169 Indians, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian. Just one person, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is believed to have survived. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Footage showed the 787, also called a Dreamliner, skid as it went down, damaging buildings before bursting into flames. Up to 80 students were inside the dining hall on the top floor of BJ Medical College when the plane hit, killing five people. It was not immediately clear why the plane crashed, with air accident officials from Britain travelling to support their Indian counterparts. Sam Salehpour, an engineer at Boeing for over a decade, alleged last year that Boeing 'took shortcuts' while manufacturing the wide-body jet to speed up production. The whistleblower claimed that the 787's fuselage, the aircraft's body, could break apart mid-flight after thousands of trips. He testified: 'I have analysed Boeing's own data to conclude that the company is taking manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 program that may significantly reduce the airplane safety and the lifecycle.' He said this was because the enormous parts that make up a fuselage were made by different manufacturers, so they didn't properly fit together. Salehpour told a Senate panel: 'I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align. 'By jumping up and down, you're deforming parts so that the holes align temporarily… and that's not how you build an airplane. 'Boeing has failed to make any meaningful changes to the underlying production processes to avoid defects which could pose a serious safety risk.' When it comes to air travel, Salehpour added, 'the size of a human hair can be a matter of life and death'. 'These planes are being flown with a ticking time bomb,' he said in an interview earlier this year. Boeing conceded that manufacturing changes were made to the Dreamliner, but tests determined there were no 'immediate issues'. The company said at the time it was 'fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner', adding: 'These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.' The American Federal Aviation Administration is investigating Salehpour's allegations. Salehpour's lawyers wrote in a letter to the US Department of Transport today asking for the agency's findings to be released. The Dreamliner, first delivered in 2011, is one of Boeing's most popular planes. It is more fuel-efficient than many other long-haul aircraft because it is made of composite materials, such as lightweight carbon and glass fibre, over hefty metals. Flying tens of thousands of feet above sea level subjects these materials to stress and causes what engineers call fatigue, compromising safety. But the Dreamliner has caused headaches for Boeing bosses over the years, such as when a door panel blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight last January. More Trending The crash in Ahmedabad marks the first fatal accident involving a 787, according to the Aviation Safety Network. The plane was over a decade old, Flightradar24 records show. Boeing's annual summary of incidents and accidents in April said no Dreamliners have ever been destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said: 'Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. 'I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.' Julian Bray, an aviation security expert, told Metro: 'We can't rule out security issues. It is very unusual for a Boeing Dreamliner to crash like this on takeoff. 'This is pure speculation on my behalf, but the crash is near a conflict zone.' Mr Bray is referring to the recent tensions between Pakistan and India, which sparked fear of an all-out war last month. Ahmedabad is around 730km south of the India-Pakistan border, where small skirmishes have been reported recently. 'We do know that the pilot issued a mayday call shortly after takeoff,' Mr Bray added. 'There have been crashes involving Boeing 787-8 planes before.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Tom Fletcher apologises for 'insensitive' Instagram post after fatal Air India crash MORE: I missed Air India flight by 10 minutes – my mind went numb MORE: Air India crash: Search for second black box continues after PM visits wreckage site
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
'I want to prevent a crash!': When a Boeing whistleblower, who exposed 'gaps' in aircraft, had warned of 'catastrophe'
The Air India plane that crashed minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad on Thursday was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner , a model already under the shadow of a whistleblower's warning about 'gaps' in its structure. The ill-fated aircraft, carrying 242 people — including 10 crew members — was headed for London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed into a residential complex just 30 seconds after departure. As rescue teams comb through the wreckage, questions are mounting about the aircraft's structural integrity — and a warning raised by a Boeing engineer last year — that 'this could lead to a catastrophic failure.' 'I'm not doing this to bring Boeing down… I'm doing this because I want to prevent a crash.' Those were the words of Sam Salehpour , a veteran Boeing engineer, when he addressed a press briefing in 2024. 'That's not how you build an airplane' His formal whistleblower complaint to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alleged shortcuts were taken on the factory floor — particularly when it came to filling tiny gaps in the aircraft's fuselage — which could undermine its structural integrity over time. 'That's not how you build an airplane,' Salehpour said, describing alarming practices where workers were 'jumping on aircraft parts' to force them into proper alignment. Live Events Boeing dismissed the complaints at the time. 'These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to assure long-term safety.' The incident underscores longstanding worries about production practices on the 787 — a view first raised in 2021, when delivery of the aircraft was temporarily halted due to tiny gaps in the fuselage. Although Boeing insisted it addressed all issues, Salehpour alleged that problems remained. Boeing Airplanes said it is in contact with Air India and is 'ready to support them.' 'We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.' The US FAA confirmed it was in communication with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and 'in the event assistance is requested, the NTSB is the official US representative and the FAA provides technical support.' Aircraft 787 was considered a technological benchmark: Until now The 787 has a spotless 14-year service record, having clocked millions of flying hours without a fatal this tragedy. 'It's a rare incident — the aircraft fell into a steady descent without the slightest maneuver, which would have been expected if it were a single-engine failure or a bird strike,' a former accident investigator said. The aircraft is designed with extensive redundancy, including 6 electrical generators, 2 backup systems, 3 flight management computers and a ram air Turbine, all meant to keep it safely in the air even in cases of multiple failures. 'That's some serious redundancy. If the first two of them fail, a reboot takes place to avoid the same computation process to fail the third one," a 787 pilot told ET's Arindam Majumdar. Furthermore, the 787's fly-by-wire technology, which utilizes electrical signals instead of mechanical controls, is meant to enhance flight control and safety. The US FAA previously certified it for Extended Range Twin Engine Operations (ETOPS), allowing it to fly over water and remote areas safely.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Whistleblowers had been raising safety concerns over the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for years
Representative image LONDON: Concerns had been raised by whistleblowers for years over the safety of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday. John Barnett, who had worked for Boeing for more than 30 years and had been employed as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant, which builds the 787 Dreamliner, had alleged to the BBC in 2019 that under-pressure workers had been 'deliberately' fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line to prevent delays on the production line. Barnett, who retired in 2017, alleged he had alerted managers to his concerns, but no action had been taken. After retiring in 2017, he commenced legal action against the company and in the week before his sudden death in March 2024, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company. He had also claimed he had uncovered serious problems with oxygen systems, which could mean one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency. He had said that soon after starting work in South Carolina he had become concerned that the push to get new aircraft built meant the assembly process was rushed and safety was compromised, something Boeing has denied. He had said that in some cases, sub-standard parts had even 'been removed from scrap bins' and fitted to planes that were being built. Another whistleblower, current Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour, had in April 2024 told NBC News that Boeing should 'ground every 787 Dreamliner jet worldwide' after warning they are at risk of premature failure. He alleged that crews assembling the plane failed to properly fill tiny gaps when joining separately manufactured parts of the fuselage. His attorneys said this put more wear on the plane, shortening its lifespan and risking catastrophic failure. Salehpour, who has worked at Boeing for more than a decade, also claimed he faced retaliation, including exclusion from meetings, after raising concerns over these issues. Boeing has always denied these assertions and insists the 787 is safe. However the Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating Salehpour's allegations. It also opened an investigation in May 2024 after Boeing disclosed in April 2024 that it may not have completed required inspections to confirm adequate bonding and grounding where the wings join the fuselage on certain 787 Dreamliners. That probe is also investigating whether company employees falsified aircraft records. The aircraft involved in Thursday's crash is an 11-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This is the first major accident involving the 787. Boeing issued the following statement: 'We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.'
