Boeing whistleblower told Congress his boss threatened him after speaking up in a meeting
A Boeing whistleblower testified before Congress on Wednesday after claiming one of their models, the 787 Dreamliner, is unsafe to operate.
Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer for the company, told a US Senate subcommittee that his boss threatened him after he voiced concerns.
“My boss said, ‘I would have killed someone who said what you said in the meeting,’” Mr Salehpour testified. “This is not safety culture when you get threatened by bringing issues of safety concerns.”
The US Senate hosted two hearings on Wedneday related to Boeing. The first hearing, held by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee featured testimony from aviation safety experts. Mr Salehpour spoke at the second hearing, held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee for Investigations.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is not expected to appear.
These hearings follow a string of safety incidents with Boeing planes in recent months.
Most notably, a door plug fell off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft at an altitude of 16,000 feet in January. While no one was hurt, passengers lost several belongings and were left terrified. A preliminary investigation revealed the door was missing four bolts.
Key Points
Whistleblower says he received physical threats from boss for speaking up
Boeing whistleblower says manufacturing mistakes not ‘properly addressed’ vast majority of time
Watch live: Boeing whistleblower testifies about plane defects at Senate committee
US Senate hearings to kick off shortly
14:43 , Katie Hawkinson
The first of two US Senate hearings regarding safety concerns about Boeing aircraft will begin at 10 am.
This hearing, held by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, will feature testimony from aviation safety experts.
The Boeing whistleblower, who claims the company’s 787 Dreamliner is unsafe to fly, is set to testify at the second hearing of the day.
Follow along for live coverage of the hearings.
‘The decisions you’re making are going to end with a smoking hole in the ground’: Inside the Boeing catastrophe
14:51 , Katie Hawkinson
As the US Senate prepares for two hearings on Boeing aircraft safety this afternoon, catch up on the saga that led us here, from The Independent’s Io Dodds:
‘This will end with a hole in the ground’: Inside the Boeing catastrophe
First hearing begins featuring testimony from aviation safety experts
15:03 , Katie Hawkinson
The US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing has kicked off.
Those testifying include Dr Javier de Luis, a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Dr Tracy Dillinger, manager for safety culture and human factors at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Dr Najmedin Meshkati, a professor in the Aviation Safety and Security Program at the University of Southern California.
Expert witness testifying had family member die in a Boeing 737 Max crash
15:09 , Katie Hawkinson
Dr Javier de Luis, a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, lost his sister in a Boeing 737 Max crash in March 2019.
His sister, Graziella de Luis y Ponce, was a United Nations interpreter. She was on a flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when she died in a fatal crash.
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Chairwoman Maria Cantwell thanked Dr de Luis for attending.
“I can’t imagine the tragedy of losing your sister in one of the Max crashes and then continuing to be involved in trying to correct and improve our safety culture,” Ms Cantwell said at the Wednesday morning hearing.
Boeing’s stated commitment to safety doesn’t match up to their actions, senator says
15:20 , Katie Hawkinson
Senator Tammy Duckworth — Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security — said Boeing’s stated commitments to safety don’t match up with their actual actions.
“Boeing says it prioritizes safety above all else,” Ms Duckworth said at the Wednesday morning hearing. “But when the expert panel asked Boeing to produce evidence of this commitment, the evidence that Boeing provided ‘did not provide objective evidence of a foundational commitment to safety that matches Boeing’s descriptions of that objective.’
“That should be shocking,” she said.
She also criticised the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
“When the FAA finally found out that Boeing had been knowingly and repeatedly violating its approved type design, the FAA did nothing,” Ms Duckworth said.
“When the FAA fails to take action in response to bad behaviour, it sends an unmistakable message to both Boeing and its employees: That bad behaviour is acceptable.”
Dr Luis says he’s committed to aviation safety after losing his sister to Boeing crash
15:23 , Katie Hawkinson
Expert witness Javier de Luis, a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, lost his sister in a Boeing 737 Max crash in March 2019.
His sister, Graziella de Luis y Ponce, was a United Nations interpreter. She died on a flight from Ethiopia when the aircraft crashed soon after take-off. The crash killed all 157 passengers.
“For me, serving on this panel has been an opportunity to help prevent anyone else from going through what I and my family have sadly experienced these past five years,” Dr de Luis said at the Wednesday morning hearing.
Disconnect between Boeing and its employees creates safety concerns: expert witness
15:27 , Katie Hawkinson
“There exists a disconnect for lack of a better word between the words that are being said by Boeing management and what is being seen and experienced by employees. across the company,” Dr Javier de Luis, a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, told the Senate committee. “They hear safety is our number one priority. But what they see is that that’s only true as long as your production milestones are met, and at that point, it’s ‘push it out the door as fast as you can.’”
“They hear, ‘speak up if you see anything that’s unsafe,’” he continued. “But what they see is that if they do speak up, they get very little feedback. And if they insist, they may find themselves on the short end of the stick.”
“To me, it is clear that the commitment to change the level of change and the pace of change at Boeing is not commensurate with the events that created the need for all this change in the first place.”
‘Real fear of retribution’ among Boeing employees who speak up: expert witness
15:42 , Katie Hawkinson
Aviation safety expert Javier de Luis said Boeing employees who highlight safety concerns are worried their anonymity won’t be protected and that they’ll face retribution from the company.
“There was a very real fear of retribution and payback if you held your ground,” Dr de Luis said. “Obviously, those are things that are just not compatible with any sort of safety culture.”
Tracy Dillinger, manager for safety culture and human factors at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, agreed with his assessment.
“When someone reports something, somebody has to listen to it, the way they treat them has to be fair, there needs to be an environment of psychological safety,” Dr Dillinger said.
She also noted that 95 per cent of the Boeing employees who responded to a survey said they didn’t know who the company’s Chief of Safety was.
Safety needs to be ‘in the DNA’ of Boeing employees
15:48 , Katie Hawkinson
After raising concerns to the committee about safety reporting mechanisms at Boeing, aviation safety expert Javier de Luis said safety needs to be a core tenant for employees at the aircraft company.
“I firmly believe you can’t inspect your way to quality and you can’t inspect your way to safety because all it’s going to take is one slip and you know, we’re back here again,” Dr de Luis said. “It’s got to be in the DNA of the people that understand that you don’t walk away from a door leaving it in an unsafe condition.”
Second hearing beginning momentarily
16:00 , Katie Hawkinson
As aviation safety experts continue their testimony, another Senate committee will hear from a Boeing whistleblower.
Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer for the company, told NBC News on Tuesday evening the aircraft could “drop to the ground” in midair if safety concerns aren’t addressed. Meanwhile, Boeing claims the model is safe to fly.
He will testify to the investigations subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Whistleblowers testifying at ‘great personal risk’: senator
16:08 , Katie Hawkinson
“These whistleblowers have come forward at great personal risk,” Senator Richard Blumenthal said at the whistleblower hearing. “In fact, a number of them and others have suffered harassment, isolation, transfers, and even threats of physical violence.”
Mr Blumenthal specifically thanked Sam Salehpour, Boeing quality engineer, for speaking about his safety concerns.
“As a result, he was isolated, transferred, even threatened for refusing to stay silent,” the senator said of Mr Salehpour.
Watch live: Boeing whistleblower testifies about plane defects at Senate committee
16:17 , Katie Hawkinson
Watch live: Boeing whistleblower testifies about plane defects at Senate committee
Who are the whistleblowers and experts testifying?
16:22 , Katie Hawkinson
Four first-hand expert witnesses will testify on the state of Boeing:
Sam Salehpour, quality engineer at Boeing; Ed Pierson, former Boeing manager; Joe Jacobsen, former Federal Aviation Administration engineer; Shawn Pruchnicki, an aviation accident investigator and former commercial pilot.
Whistleblower says Boeing is taking ‘manufacturing shortcuts’ that make airplanes unsafe
16:25 , Katie Hawkinson
“I’m not here today because I want to be here,” whistleblower Sam Salehpour said. “I’m here today because I felt that I must come forward, because I do not want to see another 787 or 777 crash.”
“I have analyzed Boeing’s own data to conclude that the company is taken manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 program that may significantly reduce the airplane safety and the lifecycle,” Mr Salehpour told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee for Investigations.
Boeing whistleblower says manufacturing mistakes not ‘properly addressed’ vast majority of time
16:29 , Katie Hawkinson
“I found gaps exceeding the specification that were not properly addressed 98.7 per cent of the time,” Sam Salehpour, quality engineer at Boeing, said of measurements and joints on the 787s.
“Inspection of the data shows that the debris ended up in the gaps 80 per cent of the time,” he continued. “Again, you know you have debris in the gaps 80% of the time.”
Aviation safety witness says he would still fly in a Boeing plane
16:38 , Katie Hawkinson
“Within the aeroplane world you have to look at what’s happening and go how comfortable am I flying in this aeroplane versus that aeroplane? For me personally, I keep track of what’s happening on the [737 Max] for obvious reasons, and I’m worried about what’s happening on the [737 Max],” aviation safety expert Javier de Luis testified.
“Now if I had to fly somewhere, because there was, there was no other option,” Dr de Luis continued. “I would absolutely fly it versus driving for example because I can make that trade.”
Aviation accident investigator says Boeing incidents are a first in decades-long career
16:46 , Katie Hawkinson
Shawn Pruchnicki said Boeing’s series of alarming events are a first in his decades of work in aviation and aerospace safety.
“There does not appear to be any evidence of changes to any of the components on the horizon as a string of alarming events continued to unfold,” Dr Pruchnicki testified. “In safety engineering work, we call these precursors to accidents. I have never in my decades of Aerospace Safety work seen so many continuing to arrive one after another.”
Dr Pruchnicki is an aviation accident investigator and former commercial pilot. He is also a professional practice assistant professor of integrated systems engineering at The Ohio State University.
Audience member briefly interrupts hearing
16:50 , Katie Hawkinson
An unidentified man viewing the whistleblower hearing briefly interrupted the proceedings, holding documents in the air as he spoke.
It is unclear what the man said or what he shouted at the presiding senators. However, Chairman Richard Blumenthal said the committee would meet with him privately and review his documents.
“I want to spare you being removed and just tell you that we will be happy to take those documents and meet with you privately,” Mr Blumenthal said.
Whistleblower says he received physical threats for speaking up
16:56 , Katie Hawkinson
Sam Salehpour, whistleblower and quality engineer at Boeing, said his boss threatened him after he voiced concerns at a company meeting.
“My boss said, ‘I would have killed someone who said what you said in the meeting,’” Mr Salehpour testified before a Senate committee. “This is not safety culture, when you get threatened by bringing issues of safety concerns.”
Boeing has culture of retaliation: whistleblower
17:08 , Katie Hawkinson
“Do you think that there was a culture of retaliation against whistleblowers?” Senator Roger Marshall asked Sam Salehpour, whistleblower and Boeing quality engineer.
“Absolutely,” Mr Salehpour responded. The Boeing engineer explained the only reason he still has a job is because his attorneys helped him.
Mr Salehpour also described a 40-minute phone call berating him and threatening him for speaking up.
“They call you on your personal phone to let you know that they know where you live,” he said of Boeing. “They know where you are. And they can hurt you. And you know, after the threats...it really scares me, believe me, but I am at peace.
“You know, if something happens to me, I am at peace because I feel like by coming forward, I will be saving a lot of lives and my piece whatever happens it happens,” Mr Salehpour continued.
Boeing employees being asked not to document concerns, quality engineer says
17:18 , Katie Hawkinson
“I have a very negative attitude towards the quality concerns,” whistleblower and quality engineer Sam Salehpour testified. “When I bring something to my boss to say ‘we have problems with this,’ he prevents me from even documenting and prevents me from even sending the information to the subject matters experts.”
Mr Salehpour also said his boss had previously threatened him for speaking up about safety concerns in a company meeting.
Boeing safety situation is akin to ‘Russian roulette’ whistleblower says
17:32 , Katie Hawkinson
Sam Salehpour, the Boeing quality engineer and whistleblower threatened by his boss for speaking up, said an impending disaster is increasingly likely — it’s just a matter of when it occurs.
“One could compare it to something a little bit like Russian roulette,” he testified. “We never know exactly when it’s going to happen, when or where or how it’s going to happen.”
Boeing whistleblower tells Senate he was threatened by boss after raising concerns about plane safety: ‘They know where you live’
17:45 , Katie Hawkinson
As both US Senate hearings on Boeing safety measures conclude, catch up on whistleblower Sam Salehpour’s shocking account of intimidation and threatening behaviour he faced:
Boeing whistleblower tells Senate he was threatened by boss after raising concerns
ICYMI: Boeing’s stated commitment to safety doesn’t match up to their actions, senator says
18:23 , Katie Hawkinson
Senator Tammy Duckworth — Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security — said Boeing’s stated commitments to safety don’t match up with their actual actions.
“Boeing says it prioritizes safety above all else,” Ms Duckworth said at the Wednesday morning hearing. “But when the expert panel asked Boeing to produce evidence of this commitment, the evidence that Boeing provided ‘did not provide objective evidence of a foundational commitment to safety that matches Boeing’s descriptions of that objective.’
“That should be shocking,” she said.
She also criticised the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
“When the FAA finally found out that Boeing had been knowingly and repeatedly violating its approved type design, the FAA did nothing,” Ms Duckworth said.
“When the FAA fails to take action in response to bad behaviour, it sends an unmistakable message to both Boeing and its employees: That bad behaviour is acceptable.”
Boeing has culture of retaliation, threatening behaviour: whistleblower
19:10 , Katie Hawkinson
“Do you think that there was a culture of retaliation against whistleblowers?” Senator Roger Marshall asked Sam Salehpour, whistleblower and Boeing quality engineer.
“Absolutely,” Mr Salehpour responded. The Boeing engineer explained the only reason he still has a job is because his attorneys helped him.
Mr Salehpour also described a 40-minute phone call berating him and threatening him for speaking up.
“They call you on your personal phone to let you know that they know where you live,” he said of Boeing. “They know where you are. And they can hurt you. And you know, after the threats...it really scares me, believe me, but I am at peace.
“You know, if something happens to me, I am at peace because I feel like by coming forward, I will be saving a lot of lives and my piece whatever happens it happens,” Mr Salehpour continued.
ICYMI: Aviation safety witness says he would still fly in a Boeing plane
19:30 , Katie Hawkinson
“Within the aeroplane world you have to look at what’s happening and go how comfortable am I flying in this aeroplane versus that aeroplane? For me personally, I keep track of what’s happening on the [737 Max] for obvious reasons, and I’m worried about what’s happening on the [737 Max],” aviation safety expert Javier de Luis testified.
“Now if I had to fly somewhere, because there was, there was no other option,” Dr de Luis continued. “I would absolutely fly it versus driving for example because I can make that trade.”
Aviation accident investigator told Senate Boeing incidents are a first in decades-long career
20:00 , Katie Hawkinson
Shawn Pruchnicki said Boeing’s series of alarming events are a first in his decades of work in aviation and aerospace safety.
“There does not appear to be any evidence of changes to any of the components on the horizon as a string of alarming events continued to unfold,” Dr Pruchnicki testified. “In safety engineering work, we call these precursors to accidents. I have never in my decades of Aerospace Safety work seen so many continuing to arrive one after another.”
Dr Pruchnicki is an aviation accident investigator and former commercial pilot. He is also a professional practice assistant professor of integrated systems engineering at The Ohio State University.
ICYMI: Boeing whistleblower tells Senate he was threatened by boss after raising concerns about plane safety: ‘They know where you live’
20:30 , Katie Hawkinson
A Boeing whistleblower said at a senate hearing that he has faced threats and verbal abuse after he spoke up about safety issues at the planemaker.
Quality engineer Sam Salehpour was asked on Wednesday if there’s a “culture of retaliation” against whistleblowers at Boeing.
“Absolutely ... The only reason I have my job [is] because I had my attorneys, we filed [via] the whistleblower system before I spoke up,” he said.
Mr Salehpour added that he was once berated by his boss during a 40-minute phone call.
“They call you on your personal phone to let you know that they know where you live,” he said. “They know where you are. And they can hurt you.”
Read more from Gustaf Kilander:
Boeing whistleblower tells Senate he was threatened by boss after raising concerns
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21:00 , Katie Hawkinson
VIDEO: Boeing whistleblower reveals he has nightmares of being stabbed after raising concerns about Dreamliner
22:15 , Katie Hawkinson
Boeing whistleblower reveals he has nightmares of being stabbed
