Skip to main content

Boeing 787 under scrutiny again after Ahmedabad crash: Whistleblower warnings resurface

 
By Rajiv Shah 
A heart-wrenching tragedy has taken place in Ahmedabad. As widely reported, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed shortly after taking off from the city’s airport, currently operated by India’s top tycoon, Gautam Adani. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members. 
As expected, the crash has led to an outpouring of grief across the country. At the same time, there have been demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Civil Aviation Minister.
The most striking comment came from BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who stated: "When a train derailed in the 1950s, Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned. On the same morality, I demand PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, and Civil Aviation Minister Naidu to resign so that a free and fair inquiry can be held. All that Modi and his associates have been doing so far is gallivanting, which must stop."
Amidst widespread mourning, some fringe elements sought to communalize the tragedy. One post on X featured a screenshot showing small Muslim faces with smilies, with the user "Hindu Nationalist" commenting: "And then they say why are you doubting our nationalism." The insinuation was that there was a sense of jubilation in the minority community.
Amidst these developments, attention was drawn to a CNN report published over a year ago, on April 10, 2024, headlined: "A whistleblower claims that Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is flawed. The FAA is investigating." I was asked to revisit it, given the widespread belief that the 787 Dreamliner was one of the safest aircraft in the skies.
The CNN report quotes U.S. federal authorities stating that they were investigating Boeing after a whistleblower, Sam Salehpour—a Boeing engineer—raised repeated concerns about manufacturing shortcuts involving the 777 and 787 models. Salehpour warned that these risks could become catastrophic as the planes age. He claimed he was retaliated against by Boeing for speaking up.
The CNN story cites Salehpour's complaint to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), filed in January 2024 and made public on April 9, 2024. In the complaint, Salehpour warned of “two quality issues that may dramatically reduce the life of the planes.” He explained:
“I am doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent crashes from happening... The truth is Boeing can’t keep going the way it is. It needs to do a little bit better, I think.”
The New York Times (NYT), which first reported on the whistleblower complaint, provided further insight. Titled "FAA Investigates Claims by Boeing Whistle-Blower About Flaws in 787 Dreamliner", the story explained that Salehpour alleged that parts of the 787's fuselage were being improperly fastened, potentially weakening the aircraft over time. According to him, sections of the fuselage—manufactured by different suppliers—do not align perfectly, which could cause structural failures after thousands of flights.
Salehpour, who had worked at Boeing for over a decade, said the problem stemmed from changes in how these massive sections were fitted and fastened on the assembly line. The NYT story came against the backdrop of intense scrutiny Boeing has faced, especially after a door panel on a 737 Max jet blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024.
In response, Boeing initiated a leadership overhaul, and the U.S. Justice Department launched a criminal investigation. Salehpour’s concerns were backed by Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security investigations subcommittee. He remarked:
“Repeated, shocking allegations about Boeing’s manufacturing failings point to an appalling absence of safety culture and practices—where profit is prioritized over everything else.”
The NYT article also described the Dreamliner as a wide-body aircraft known for its fuel efficiency, thanks in part to its lightweight composite body. However, since its launch in 2011, the 787 has faced a series of problems—from battery issues that led to a global grounding, to more recent quality lapses that halted its delivery.
The NYT also reported that Boeing’s South Carolina plant, where the Dreamliner is assembled, had been under fire before. Notably, another whistleblower, John Barnett, who raised concerns about practices at the same plant, was found dead in March 2024 from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Salehpour alleged that Boeing retaliated against him for raising safety concerns. According to his lawyer, Debra S. Katz, he attempted to raise these issues in internal meetings, but was ignored and eventually transferred to work on another wide-body model. There, he discovered similar issues with fuselage assembly.
According to CNN, concerns about the Dreamliner are not new. Between 2021 and 2023, FAA and Boeing halted deliveries to investigate quality control problems, particularly regarding the precision of fuselage assembly. Though the 787 was not grounded, the FAA conducted multiple investigations.
CNN also reported, on February 24, 2023, that Boeing was forced to again halt Dreamliner deliveries just months after they had resumed. Although Boeing continued production during the 2021–22 delivery freeze, the company suffered another financial blow when the FAA paused new deliveries in early 2023. Boeing delivered 34 Dreamliners between August 2022 and January 2023 once the FAA gave clearance.
“A halt of deliveries is another financial blow to the already struggling Boeing, which gets most of its money from its airline customers at the time that planes are delivered,” CNN noted.

Comments

TRENDING

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

A matter of deep concern: The silent struggles of India's visually impaired women

By N.S. Venkataraman  Visual impairment is one of the most severe forms of physical disability that afflicts humanity, and its impact is even more acute when it affects women. The burden becomes overwhelming when visually impaired women also belong to economically weaker sections of society, with little or no financial or institutional support. Their struggle for dignity, survival, and identity is often invisible—hidden in plain sight across cities and rural corners alike. And yet, these women form a large, neglected segment of society not just in India, but around the world. In India, governmental assistance to visually impaired persons exists but remains minimal. While policies are framed with good intent, they often fall short in implementation. More importantly, no real distinction is made between the unique challenges faced by visually impaired men and women. This gender-blind approach to disability support overlooks the compounded social vulnerabilities that women face due to...