Boeing whistleblower says there were serious defects in aircraft parts

Aircraft made by Boeing's largest supplier routinely left the factory with serious defects, according to a former quality inspector at the company.

Santiago Paredes, who worked at Spirit Aerosystems in Kansas, told the BBC that up to 200 defects were often found in parts being prepared for shipment to Boeing.

He was called a “showstopper” because he delayed production in an attempt to address his concerns, he claimed.

Spirit said he “totally disagree”[d]There is a suspicion that

A spokesperson for Spirit, Boeing's largest supplier, said: “We are vigorously defending his claims.”

Paredes made the accusations against Spirit in an exclusive interview with the BBC and American network CBS, in which he said the experience occurred while working for the company between 2010 and 2022.

He was used to finding “50 to 100 to 200” defects in the bodies of planes that were destined for Boeing, he said.

“We found a lot of fasteners missing, a lot of bent parts, and sometimes parts were missing.”

Boeing declined to comment.

Following the incident, US regulator the Federal Aviation Administration began auditing the production practices of both companies. Several cases were found where companies were not adhering to manufacturing control practices.

Paredes told the BBC that some of the deficiencies he identified during his time at Spirit were minor, while others were more serious.

He also claimed he was pressured to be less strict.

“They were always raving about how I found it and why I was watching it,” he said.

“They just wanted to ship the product. They weren't focused on the consequences of shipping a bad aircraft. They just wanted to meet quotas, stay on schedule, stay on budget. I was just concentrating on protecting it… As long as the numbers were good, the condition of the aircraft was fine.''It didn't really matter,'' he claimed.

Much of Mr. Paredes' purported experience at Spirit is part of his testimony in a lawsuit brought against the company by disgruntled shareholders.

However, in legal documents, he is referred to simply as “Former Employee 1.” This is the first time Paredes, a former Air Force engineer, has spoken publicly.

Before leaving the company, Paredes led a team of inspectors based at the end of the 737 Max production line.

A second former quality auditor, Josh Dean, was also supposed to be part of the lawsuit, but he died last week after suffering a serious bacterial infection.

The lawsuit accuses the company of intentionally attempting to conceal serious and widespread quality defects, exposing shareholders to financial loss when those defects were uncovered. Spirit said it “strongly disagrees” with the lawsuit's allegations.

Spirit was once part of Boeing and remains a major supplier to the aircraft manufacturer. All 737 Max fuselages are manufactured at a factory in Wichita, Kansas, and shipped to Boeing's facility in Renton, Washington, near Seattle. It also manufactures most of the 787 Dreamliners.

It is now in a difficult position. It has been bleeding cash, losing $617m (£494m) in the first three months of this year.

Boeing has agreed to provide financial support and is in talks to buy back the former subsidiary.

Officials at the aerospace giant say efforts at Spirit to address quality concerns have resulted in an approximately 80% reduction in the number of failed parts leaving the Wichita plant. are doing.

Paredes said both companies were aware of the scale of the defect problem and it was discussed in weekly meetings between quality inspectors from both companies.

For Paredes personally, he claimed the problem came to a head when his manager ordered him to change the way he reported defects in order to reduce the total number of defects.

After protesting, he said, he was demoted and transferred to another part of the factory.

“I felt threatened and felt I was being retaliated against for voicing my concerns,” he said.

Paredes then filed an “ethics complaint” with the company's human resources department and sent a letter to Spirit's then-CEO Tom Gentile.

In the email, he said, “I have lost faith in the quality organization here at Spirit. This is my final cry for help.”

Mr. Paredes was subsequently reinstated in a leadership role after the charges were partially cleared, and the back pay was paid. He left the company soon after.

He now claims he is reluctant to fly the 737 Max in case the defects stemming from the Wichita factory still remain.

“Until I worked at Spirit, I hadn't met many people who were afraid of flying,” he says.

And while I was at Spirit, I met a lot of people who were afraid of flying. Because I was watching how they assembled the aircraft. ”