‘Fired after complaining about shoddy repair work on Boeing 787s’, whistleblower claims

Another ALARMS came out on Wednesday with claims that some components of Boeing‘s 787 Dreamliner the planes were built in an unsafe manner, potentially leading to “disastrous consequences”.
Richard CuevasA mechanic employed by Strom, a former contractor, has filed complaints with two US agencies, alleging he faced retaliation after raising concerns about potential manufacturing issues on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
According to his attorneys at Katz Banks Kumin, Cuevas was fired in March 2024 after he brought to attention manufacturing deviations in the pressure front, a critical component for pressurization management during flights, CNN reports.
Who is Richard Cuevas?
Richard Cuevas is the latest in a list of whistleblowers to leave Boeing operations, further intensifying the scrutiny facing the planemaker over an incident involving a 737 MAX jet operated by Alaska Airlines in January after the plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to an in-flight problem.
Cuevas was employed by Strom, a contracting company that assigned him to work at Spirit AeroSystemsthe manufacturer responsible for the construction aircraft bodies for the Dreamliner.
According to CNN, in October 2023, Cuevas filed a complaint with Boeing, alleging that Spirit had implemented unapproved modifications to the dimensions of the clamp holes located in the front pressure section of the 787 aircraft.
Boeing began an investigation into its concerns in October 2023, notifying Spirit management of the complaints. During this period, Cuevas says a colleague commented, “we have a thief among us,” and in March, Spirit abruptly terminated his employment.
Katz Banks Kumin said: “Our customer has witnessed critical issues with the assembly of the front strut section on numerous aircraft deviating from Boeing’s specifications.”
“He acknowledged the substandard work and expressed concern about his safety concerns, but Spirit and Boeing failed to stop the faulty manufacturing processes. Mr. Cuevas was fired when his manager discovered that an employee had complained about these case and suspected that the employee was Mr. Cuevas,” he added.
What issues did Cuevas observe at Boeing?
Cuevas reported that he noticed gaps in the pressure front of two aircraft he helped build that could potentially lead to “disaster.”
Cuevas witnessed the improper drilling of holes in the pressure tops of 787s at Spirit’s facility in Wichita, Kansas, during 2023,” which he believes could compromise the power and air pressure on the planes, posing a risk serious security for passengers.
He filed a report with Boeing’s ethics hotline, informing management that he believed Spirit was hiding the issues from Boeing.
Cuevas witnessed these issues with three planes he worked on and believes these problems could affect at least 10 to 12 planes, either in production or already delivered to Boeing.
In response to the allegations, Boeing has said it had previously investigated Cuevas’ claims and determined they did not present a safety issue.
The main part is a critical structural component of an aircraft, essential to maintaining the integrity of the aircraft during flight.
What were the previous complaints?
A former whistleblower, Sam Salehpoura Boeing engineer, reported similar gaps in the 787 and 777 jetliners. The FAA and Boeing suspended deliveries of new Dreamliners for nearly two years starting in 2021 to investigate the gaps.
The same attorneys are also representing Sam, who testified before the Senate in April about his concerns about the 787’s manufacturing practices and the retaliation he faced for speaking out.
More than a dozen whistleblowers have come out against Boeing in recent years, and the number has risen sharply since a door plug exploded on a 737 Max plane in January shortly after takeoff, leaving a large hole in the side of the plane, CNN reported.
Last week, a current Boeing employee claimed the company tried to hide broken or out-of-spec 737 Max parts from regulators and lost track of them, fearing they could have been installed on planes carrying passengers.
What did the company say?
Boeing said: “A subcontractor employee previously reported concerns to us that we fully investigated as we take any safety-related issue seriously. Engineering analysis determined that the issues raised did not present a safety concern and were addressed.”
“We are reviewing the documents released today and will thoroughly investigate any new claims,” ​​they added.
Company spokesman Joe Buccino said that “Spirit management 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.”
Attorneys representing Cuevas filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in a filing, saying “based on his direct observations of apparent safety issues, that Boeing and Spirit’s statements to the public and investors about the safety of the 787 Dreamliners are being misled.”
The FAA has launched multiple investigations into Boeing, and the US Department of Justice has indicated it may file criminal charges against the company for continued quality and safety failures.
“We strongly encourage anyone with safety concerns to report them, and we thoroughly investigate each report,” the FAA said.
According to the FAA, in the current year it received a total of 126 such reports, while last year only 11 were submitted.

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