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Spirit AeroSystems Facing Scrutiny After Boeing 737 Max 9 Incident
Spirit AeroSystems, the supplier responsible for fabricating the fuselage of the Boeing 737 Max 9 that experienced a door plug detachment mid-flight in January, has attracted considerably less attention than its client following the event. However, recent allegations from a whistleblower may alter this perception.
Whistleblower Exposes Quality Control Issues at Spirit AeroSystems
Santiago Paredes, who recently spoke to CBS News, gained the moniker “Showstopper” during his employment at Spirit AeroSystems due to his consistent identification of quality concerns related to the aircraft bodies being assembled by the company. Paredes claims that he was pressured to overlook defects in the production process, which he found to be ethically unacceptable.
In his own words: “If quality was truly a priority, I would still be working at Spirit.” Paredes highlights the rarity of inspecting a job and not discovering any faults. Allegedly, when he pushed back against directives to reduce the number of issues flagged, he was demoted from his leadership role. While he eventually regained his position, he decided to depart from the company in 2022.
A spokesperson from Spirit AeroSystems stated to CBS News that the company values feedback from employees and ensures protection against repercussions for providing such input.
Investigation Reveals Potential Oversight in Production Process
An initial inquiry conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board into the door plug detachment incident indicated that workers on the relevant aircraft neglected to reinstall four critical bolts necessary for securing the component. The maintenance crew had been rectifying a flaw that had been permitted to leave Spirit’s Kansas facility for Boeing’s Washington factory in a bid to maintain production efficiency.
This practice, internally referred to as “traveled work,” is something that Boeing aims to discontinue. Spirit CEO Patrick Shanahan articulated the company’s commitment to enhancing quality during an earnings call with analysts, mentioning that Boeing is currently engaged in discussions to potentially acquire Spirit, which was divested as a subsidiary in 2005.
Paredes shared with CBS his unease with flying, admitting that his experiences at Spirit had instilled a sense of apprehension. His knowledge of the Boeing 737 Max 9’s intricacies leaves him unsettled when flying aboard one of these aircraft.
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