Another whistleblower who faced retaliation for accusing Boeing of safety and quality control issues stepped forward.
According to CNN, Agence France Presse, and other reports, Richard Cuevas, a former mechanical repairman at Boeing, filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration through lawyer Katz Banks Kumin on June 26, 2024, claiming to have been fired in March of this year for exposing issues with the manufacturing process of the front pressure resistant bulkhead of the 787 Dreamliner. The front pressure resistant bulkhead is a hemispherical component of the nose, which plays an important role in controlling the pressure inside the cabin and ensuring the integrity of the aircraft structure.
Quavas, who is 40 years old this year, was previously arranged by subcontractor Strom to work at Boeing's airframe supplier Spirit Aerosystems (hereinafter referred to as "Spirit"). In 2023, he witnessed other workers at Spirit's Wichita, Kansas factory drilling holes on at least 10 aircraft that exceeded Boeing's set standards to quickly remove the paint around the fastener holes on the front pressure resistant bulkhead. This could potentially damage the aircraft's power and pressure systems, posing a catastrophic risk to passengers.
Kwas reported the issue through Boeing's internal hotline in October 2023, stating that Spirit had changed the size of fastener holes without Boeing's permission. Boeing subsequently launched an investigation. Lawyer Katz Banks Kumin pointed out that Quevas's supervisor dismissed him in March of this year after learning about the matter. Boeing responded by stating that the company does not participate in the personnel decision-making of subcontractors, and after thorough investigation, it has determined that the content reported by Quavas does not constitute a safety hazard and has been resolved.
It is worth noting that the aircraft involved this time is the 737 series, which has frequently caused Boeing to fall into a whirlpool of public opinion. This series made its debut in 1967 and is the best-selling passenger aircraft series in the history of the civil aviation industry, while the 737 MAX is the top five Boeing delivered models in the past 22 years.
Within six months from October 2018 to March 2019, two 737 MAX aircraft that had been in service for just over a year experienced accidents in Ethiopia and Indonesia, resulting in a total of over 350 deaths. Both air accidents were related to the incorrect activation of the automatic anti stall software of the aircraft's maneuverability enhancement system. The aircraft model was immediately grounded globally.
Several former employees of Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration have pointed out that Boeing laid the groundwork for the merger with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Harry Stonecipher, former CEO of McDonnell Douglas, served as CEO of Boeing in 2003. During his tenure, he underestimated engineering expertise, suppressed experienced employees, and authorized management to vigorously reduce costs, prioritizing profitability and stock prices over passenger safety.
On January 5th this year, an embedded emergency door of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX fell off in mid air, and the Federal Aviation Administration has since received at least 126 whistleblowers reports about Boeing. Boeing is once again facing negative news and multiple federal investigations. On March 25th, current Boeing CEO Carl Horn announced his resignation by the end of 2024.
On June 17th, the Senate subcommittee investigating Boeing released a report that cited a large number of whistleblowers. Their accusations include safety concerns such as the whereabouts of hundreds of defective 737 parts. A day later, the Senate held a special hearing on this matter. During the questioning, Calhoun apologized for Boeing's recent safety accident, but denied retaliating against employees who exposed safety issues.
In addition, the US Department of Justice has determined that Boeing has been continuously exposed to quality and safety issues, and plans to decide whether to file criminal charges against it before July 7th.
After the Alaska aviation accident at the beginning of the year, Boeing established the position of Senior Vice President responsible for quality and safety, developed new operating procedures, and provided 14 weeks of new pre job training for new employees. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 in early 2020, the sharp decline in aircraft orders led to the loss of a large number of experienced employees from manufacturers. After the end of the epidemic, as countries gradually relaxed control measures, Boeing continued to recruit on a large scale, adding at least thousands of frontline employees.
On the same day that Quivas stood up (June 25th), Boeing invited local media to visit the 737 MAX factory in Renton, Washington, where Senior Vice President of Quality and Safety, Elizabeth Lund, personally explained the pre employment training process for new employees. Joel Rose, a reporter for National Public Broadcasting, called this a "rare move".
In addition, Bloomberg cited insiders as saying that Boeing recently proposed to acquire its important supplier Spirit, which it spun off 19 years ago, for $35 per share to ensure the stability of key parts of its supply chain.