Former Boeing inspector alleges ‘scrap’ parts were used on assembly lines
In his first network TV interview, Merle Meyers, a 30-year Boeing veteran, told CNN about an elaborate off-the-books practice at the Everett factory
A former Boeing quality-control manager claims that for years, workers at the company's 787 Dreamliner factory in Everett, Washington, routinely retrieved parts deemed unsuitable for flight from an internal scrap yard and reused them on the assembly lines.
In his first network TV interview, Merle Meyers, a 30-year Boeing veteran, told CNN about an elaborate off-the-books practice at the Everett factory. According to Meyers, managers would take damaged and improper parts from the company's scrapyard, storehouses, and loading docks to meet production deadlines, reports BBC.
Several whistleblowers have recently raised concerns about factory lapses at Boeing. This includes an official federal complaint from a current employee alleging that Boeing hid potentially defective parts from Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, with some of those parts possibly ending up in planes.
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These allegations come after a series of significant safety issues that have shaken the company.
Meyers' claims that lapses he witnessed were intentional, organised efforts designed to thwart quality control processes in an effort to keep up with demanding production schedules.
Meyers claims the lapses he witnessed were intentional, organised efforts to bypass quality control processes to meet demanding production schedules. Starting in the early 2000s, Meyers estimates that over more than a decade, about 50,000 parts "escaped" quality control and were used in aircraft assembly. These parts ranged from small items like screws to more complex assemblies like wing flaps. A Boeing 787 Dreamliner, for instance, consists of approximately 2.3 million parts.
Meyers stated that most parts meant to be scrapped were often painted red to indicate they were unsuitable for assembly. However, this did not always prevent them from being used in planes under construction.
Airplanes are highly specialised machines with much stricter safety standards than trains and cars. Their parts, materials, and manufacturing processes are rigorously regulated.
Meyers, whose job was to identify quality issues at Boeing, claims he was forced out of the company last year. He received a severance package, but due to a privacy agreement with Boeing, he is unable to discuss its details.
Based on conversations Meyers says he has had with current Boeing workers since his departure, he believes that while employees no longer retrieve parts from the scrapyard, the practice of using other unapproved parts on assembly lines continues.
"Now they're back to taking parts of body sections – everything – right when it arrives at the Everett site, bypassing quality, going right to the airplane," Meyers said.
Meyers has also described his concerns about Boeing's quality issues to federal investigators, a Senate panel and the New York Times.
In a statement to CNN, Boeing did not dispute Meyers' allegations. The company said it investigates "all allegations of improper behavior, such as unauthorised movement of parts or mishandling of documents," and makes improvements when appropriate.
