Photo: JULIETTE MICHEL / AFP / Getty Images
The Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation into Boeing after a whistleblower claimed he was retaliated against for reporting manufacturing problems with the 787 Dreamliner planes.
Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour said that parts of the fuselage were not properly fused together and warned that the planes could "break apart" after thousands of flights.
Boeing said that the 787 Dreamliner planes have a lifespan of about 44,000 flights or 50 years.
Salehpour explained that the parts of the fuselage come from different manufacturers and must be fastened together. However, Salehpour said that the parts don't always fit properly, and engineers took shortcuts and used excessive force to make the pieces fit together.
"I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align," Salehpour said, according to CNN. "By jumping up and down, you're deforming parts so that the holes align temporarily … and that's not how you build an airplane."
After raising the issue with Boeing, Salehpour said he was transferred to work on the 777. While working on the 777, he found similar problems.
Boeing pushed back against the claims and said the Dreamliner is safe to fly.
"These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft," Boeing said in a statement.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's investigations subcommittee plans to hold a hearing on the matter on April 17.