Boeing whistleblower testifies before Senate on safety issues

Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour on Wednesday morning testified before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations about safety issues with Boeing 737 jets.

Salehpour, a quality engineer at Boeing, told The New York Times that sections of the 787 Dreamliner fuselage were not connected properly and could break during flight after being worn down over time.

Boeing plane part falls off, strikes wing flap during takeoff in Denver: FAA

His lawyer said he was sidelined, excluded and threatened after he raised concerns that “Boeing had begun taking shortcuts” to “reduce bottlenecks in the production of 787s.”

Changes are underway at Boeing, as CEO David Calhoun said he would retire at the end of the year. He said the decision to leave was his and the timing would allow for an orderly transition.

The announcement comes after a recent string of incidents involving Boeing planes, including an engine cowling falling off a Boeing 737-800 plane as it was departing Denver International Airport on April 7.

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