A mechanic who was contracted by Boeing’s provider Spirit AeroSystems to restore airplanes in Everett has filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and Occupational Security and Well being Administration, saying he witnessed substandard work on the Boeing 787 and was terminated after elevating the problems.Attorneys filed complaints with the FAA and OSHA on behalf of Richard Cuevas, an worker of Strom Aviation and contractor for Spirit AeroSystems, who did restore work at Boeing’s Everett hangar starting in March 2023. Cuevas alleges that, with out Boeing’s permission, Spirit modified manufacturing and meeting specs on drilling holes within the fasteners of the ahead strain bulkhead of 787s, in response to a information launch despatched by the legislation agency Katz Banks Kumin. That would compromise energy and air strain on planes, Cuevas says.Boeing stated in a press release Wednesday that Cuevas’s considerations have been totally investigated and engineering evaluation “decided the problems raised didn’t current a security concern and have been addressed.” The assertion didn’t establish Cuevas by title. “We’re reviewing the paperwork launched right now and can totally examine any new declare,” Boeing stated within the assertion.
Cuevas’s major duties have been to take away and exchange cargo doorways on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane. He was despatched to Wichita, Kansas in September to work in a producing plant for Atlas, a Spirit provider.Cuevas claims he witnessed issues with three planes he labored on.On the similar time he expressed his considerations, in response to the grievance, Boeing and Spirit have been addressing elevated scrutiny from the Jan. 5 incident on an Alaska Airways flight the place a panel blew off a 737-9 MAX aircraft because it climbed out of Portland. The panel was a door plug used to seal a gap within the fuselage generally used to accommodate an emergency exit.After he raised the problems with Spirit administration and with Boeing, in response to his claims, he was fired in March 2024. Boeing stated it’s not concerned within the personnel selections of subcontractors.“Our management is conscious of the allegations and searching into the matter. We encourage all Spirit workers with considerations to come back ahead, secure in figuring out they are going to be protected,” Spirit spokesman Joe Buccino wrote in an e mail. Cuevas is represented by the identical attorneys who labored with Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour. Earlier this 12 months, Salehpour testified earlier than a Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs subcommittee, accusing Boeing of hiding security dangers on the 787 Dreamliner and 777 widebody jets.This story can be up to date.