A new Boeing whistleblower has come forward, alleging that the company is compromising on quality control by using parts that should be discarded or fixed on newly built airplanes. Sam Mohawk, a Boeing employee and quality assurance inspector from Renton, Washington, has revealed himself to Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) ahead of a Senate hearing with Boeing CEO David Calhoun.
The allegations come as the attorney for two Boeing whistleblowers who died this year has said that their deaths have prompted at least 10 other witnesses to speak out. Blumenthal will question Calhoun on Tuesday during a Senate hearing on “Boeing’s broken safety culture.”
Boeing has faced criticism following a series of recent accidents with its planes. In January, a Boeing plane experienced a door plug fall off midflight, with investigators finding that four critical safety bolts were missing. The company has also faced high-profile incidents, including a January emergency landing due to engine failure, a plane delay at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport due to a missing nose wheel, and a Dreamliner that dropped midflight due to a technical problem.
In April, another Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, alleged that the manufacturer was skipping crucial safety steps that endangered flyers. Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, claimed that the plane’s fuselage could eventually break apart midflight due to the manufacturer’s lack of quality control.
Two Boeing whistleblowers have died this year after coming forward with evidence alleging the company is not complying with safety standards. John Barnett was found dead in South Carolina the day before he was set to give final testimony against Boeing, and a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, Joshua Dean, died in May after a sudden illness. Dean had flagged defects with 737 Max jets.
