A Boeing Co BA executive has publicly acknowledged an employee who raised concerns about the 787 Dreamliner’s quality checks.
What Happened: Scott Stocker, the head of Boeing’s 787 manufacturing program, praised the employee for his actions in an internal memo on Apr. 29, reported Business Insider on Monday. The employee had brought up issues with the 787 Dreamliner’s quality checks to his superiors.
“I wanted to personally thank and commend that teammate for doing the right thing … It’s critical that every one of us speak up when we see something that may not look right, or that needs attention,” Stocker wrote in the memo, according to the report.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that it was investigating whether Boeing employees had falsified safety records for the 787. Boeing had voluntarily reported the lapse to the regulators.
Stocker’s commendation comes at a time of intense scrutiny for Boeing. The company has faced repeated quality assurance issues in recent years, including a door plug from a Boeing 737 Max 9 blowing out mid-flight in January, leading to the grounding of over 170 such planes by the FAA.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged the challenging period in a letter to employees last month, emphasizing that “safety and quality must and will come above all else.”
Boeing did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Why It Matters: This is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Boeing. The company has been hit with 32 whistleblower complaints over the past three years, with the U.S. workplace safety regulator investigating allegations of employer retaliation.
The sudden deaths of two whistleblowers, including a former Boeing manager and a quality auditor for Boeing’s supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, have further intensified the spotlight on Boeing’s safety and quality control issues.
In April, a Boeing 737 Max 9 flown by Alaska Air Group, Inc lost an emergency door in the middle of a flight, adding to the company’s safety concerns.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Calhoun is expected to retire at the end of this year with a substantial financial package. His tenure has been marked by persistent safety and quality control issues, which have significantly impacted Boeing’s reputation and performance.
Meanwhile, a Boeing engineer has called for the grounding of the entire 787 fleet due to safety concerns. The engineer, Sam Salehpour, is set to testify before Congress on the safety issues at Boeing, which he had previously reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a complaint earlier this year.
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