Whistleblower Alleges that there are Serious Problems with the Boeing Plane Parts

A whistleblower alleges aircraft fuselages supplied by Spirit AeroSystems to Boeing had serious defects like missing parts, with managers pressuring inspectors to underreport issues.

A former quality inspector has disclosed mind-blowing allegations that Spirit AeroSystems' aircraft fuselages and other components that were supplied to Boeing had "serious defects" before they were shipped to the planemaker.

Santiago Paredes, who worked at Spirit's factory in Wichita, Kansas from 2010 to 2022, is saying that he often finds up to 50 or 200 defects on fuselages for the 737 Max awaiting delivery to Boeing's assembly plant. Such problems included the absence of bolts, bent parts, and even missing parts altogether.

"They simply needed the product to be shipped.  They were not concerned with the issues arising from the bad fuselages," Paredes said to the BBC in an exclusive interview. "They did not really care about quality, just about the quota, deadline, and budget. 

Paredes, the nickname "showstopper" for his focus on production quality over quantity, claims he was pushed by managers to change the way they report defects in order to make the numbers artificially lower. When he filed an ethics complaint, he was first demoted and then later reinstated while also being given his back pay. 

The allegations cast new safety concerns over Boeing's manufacturing supervision, following the FAA's audit earlier this year that revealed more than two instances of non-compliance with quality control standards among both Boeing and Spirit. An incident happened before with a door of a 737 Max that detached from the new aircraft after taking off, which was originally fitted by Spirit.

Also Read: Boeing, Joshua Dean Dies From Sudden Infection

Spirit "firmly opposes" Paredes' statements and says it is "actively suing" him in connection with the shareholder suit where the allegations are cited. Boeing declined to comment.

Paredes now says he is hesitant to fly on 737 Max planes which are produced in Spirit's Kansas plant.  He further confessed that he met a lot of people who were afraid of flying - because they saw how the fuselages were constructed.