A mechanic who was contracted by Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems to repair planes in Everett has filed complaints with regulators, saying he witnessed substandard work on Boeing 787s and was terminated after reporting the problems.
Attorneys filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on behalf of Richard Cuevas, an employee of Strom Aviation, a contractor for Spirit AeroSystems.
Cuevas alleges that, without Boeing’s permission, Spirit changed the manufacturing and assembly specifications for drilling holes in the 787’s front pressure connectors, according to a press release sent by law firm Katz Banks Kumin. That could compromise the power and air pressure on the planes, says Cuevas, who filed an initial complaint in October using Boeing’s ethics hotline.
In the complaint sent to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, the attorneys asked that the FAA launch an investigation into the defects in the 787’s front pressure section, which is a dome-shaped structure at the front of the plane.
Boeing said in a statement Wednesday that Cuevas’ concerns were thoroughly investigated and engineering analysis “determined that the issues raised did not present a safety concern and have been addressed.” The statement did not identify Cuevas by name.
“We are reviewing the documents released today and will thoroughly investigate any new allegations,” Boeing said in a statement.
Cuevas started working at Boeing’s Everett hangar in March 2023. His main duties were removing and replacing cargo doors on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and he claims to have seen problems with three planes.
He says Spirit moved him to Wichita, Kan., in September to work in a manufacturing plant for Atlas, a Spirit supplier. While in Wichita, Cuevas said he noticed manufacturing flaws, such as the size of the holes being drilled on the outside of the press. A month later, he returned to Everett to work on installing major forward pressure parts on the plane, and he saw more problems, including workers taking shortcuts to speed up production, he claims.
When Cuevas voiced his concerns, according to the complaint, Boeing and Spirit were in the midst of heightened scrutiny from the Jan. 5 incident on an Alaska Airlines flight in which a panel exploded on a 737-9 MAX plane while it was taking off from Portland. . The panel was a door plug used to seal a hole in the body, sometimes used to accommodate an emergency exit.
After Cuevas raised issues with Spirit and Boeing management, he claims, he was fired in March, the same day FAA officials came to Boeing’s hangar for a compliance inspection.
Boeing said Wednesday it is not involved in subcontractor personnel decisions.
“Our leadership is aware of the allegations and is looking into the matter. We encourage all Spirit employees with concerns to come forward, safe in the knowledge that they will be protected,” Spirit spokesman Joe Buccino wrote in an email.
Strom, a Minnesota-based aviation staffing company, did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment.
Cuevas is represented by the same attorneys who worked with Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour. Earlier this year, Salehpour testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, accusing Boeing of covering up safety risks in the 787 Dreamliner and 777 wide-body jetliners.
Boeing has insisted that the 787’s gaps are not a safety risk, a claim that has been backed up by John Hart-Smith, a retired Boeing engineer and senior technical associate who examined the data behind Salehpour’s claims.
The FAA is investigating the 787 Dreamliner following a company revelation in April that South Carolina workers falsified inspection records on work where the wings are joined to the fuselage. This investigation is unrelated to Salehpour’s testimony.