Boeing accused of hiding faulty plane parts, whistleblowers allege

Aerospace giant Boeing is facing allegations that it hid faulty plane parts from federal regulators and then lost track of them, according to a whistleblower complaint. The claim suggests some of these defective components may have been installed on new 737s. The whistleblower, Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector at Boeing in Renton, Wash., alleges the company concealed intentionally these defective parts to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors.

Mohawk claims these defective parts, identifiable by a red tag or red paint, were improperly stored outdoors before being moved to an undisclosed location ahead of an FAA inspection in June 2023. It alleges that some of these parts were fitted to new aircraft, while others were completely lost. In addition, Mohawk alleges that its superiors ordered it to delete records indicating that the parts were defective prior to regulatory inspections.

Boeing is currently reviewing those claims, which were received Monday evening. The company's CEO, David Calhoun, is expected to testify before a Senate committee about the company's plans to address its manufacturing problems. In prepared remarks, Calhoun acknowledged that Boeing's culture is “far from perfect.”

The latest development follows increased scrutiny of Boeing by federal regulators after a metal door plug disconnected from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 in January. An investigation revealed that several keys were missing from the plane, suggesting that the plane had been flying for several months without them. The FAA has confirmed that it has “multiple active investigations” into Boeing and has received numerous whistleblower reports.

In addition to those problems, Boeing announced last week that it was inspecting a quality problem with undelivered 787 Dreamliners, after inspections revealed that hundreds of fasteners were installed incorrectly. However, the company has assured that this problem will not affect the safety of flights or deliveries. The FAA is also investigating claims that some Boeing employees falsified inspections of some 787 Dreamliners. Despite these allegations, Boeing maintains that the omitted inspections did not create any safety issues.