Whistleblower warned Boeing of flaws in 787 planes that could have ‘devastating consequences’

A whistleblower has come forward Wednesday alleging parts of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner planes were built in an unsafe manner – potentially leading to “devastating consequences.”

A whistleblower has come forward Wednesday alleging parts of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner planes were built in an unsafe manner – potentially leading to “devastating consequences.” Richard Cuevas, a mechanic at Strom, a contractor for Boeing manufacturing partner Spirit Aerosystems, claims that he witnessed holes that were improperly drilled into the forward pressure bulkheads of 787 planes at Spirit’s Wichita, Kansas, facility in 2023. The bulkhead is one of the primary parts of an airplane’s body and crucial for keeping the structure of the plane intact while it’s in the air. Cuevas claims that he filed a complaint in October 2023 to Boeing and Spirit about “substandard manufacturing and maintenance processes” he witnessed, and was fired just a few months later, according to the complaints filed by his attorneys and obtained by CNN. Boeing said it had previously investigated Cuevas’ allegations and they did not pose a safety problem. “A subcontractor’s employee previously reported concerns to us that we thoroughly investigated as we take seriously any safety-related matter,” the company said in a statement. “Engineering analysis determined that the issues raised did not present a safety concern and were addressed.” The company said it is reviewing the documents Cuevas’ attorneys made public Wednesday and will investigate any new claims.