A former Boeing manager alleged the aircraft manufacturer's actions constituted a "criminal coverup" and warned that "every person" who flies on a Boeing airplane is "at risk" during testimony before the United States Senate.
The whistleblower, Ed Pierson, excoriated both Boeing and federal officials, on Wednesday, while addressing the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs subcommittee. Pierson described the Department of Transportation was "completely useless" and claimed that the Federal Aviation Administration had become "lazy, complacent and reactive."
Watch Pierson's testimony below:
LIVE: US Senate committee hears testimony from Boeing whistleblower on safety culture report https://t.co/TKqR75oddy
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 17, 2024
Fellow Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, alleged during his testimony that Boeing higher-ups stonewalled and intimidated him after he raised safety concerns.
"I received physical threats," Salehpour said. "My boss said 'I would have killed someone who said what you said in a meeting.'"
Salehpour went public with his allegations about the 787 following the January 5 incident in which a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 midflight, prompting a corporate shakeup and a criminal probe by the Justice Department.
Boeing called Salehpour's allegations "inaccurate" and said they don't "represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."
On Monday, the company also held a briefing for reporters at the factory in North Charleston, South Carolina, where the 787 is assembled.
Boeing engineers said the plane, built with large amounts of lightweight composite materials instead of metal, has undergone extensive testing that showed the gaps met specifications in about 99% of all cases, according to the New York Times.
United Airlines, which has 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9s in its fleet, released a statement Wednesday, blaming Boeing for its pre-tax loss of $164 million in the first quarter of 2024. The airline claims that it "would have reported a quarterly profit" otherwise.
