A new Boeing whistleblower has come forward ahead of Tuesday’s Senate hearing with the airplane manufacturer’s CEO, accusing the company of cutting corners on quality control.
Sam Mohawk is a Boeing employee and quality assurance inspector from Renton, Washington. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced Tuesday that Mohawk had revealed himself to the senator’s office, alleging his employer uses parts that should be discarded or fixed on newly built airplanes. Mohawk’s allegations come as the attorney for two Boeing whistleblowers who died this year said their deaths have prompted at least 10 other witnesses to speak out.
Blumenthal is set to question Boeing CEO David Calhoun on Tuesday afternoon during a Senate hearing on “Boeing’s broken safety culture.”
Boeing has come under fire following a series of recent accidents with its planes. In January, a Boeing plane had a door plug fall off midflight. Investigators found that four critical safety bolts were missing.
Blumenthal will specifically address the Alaska Airlines incident during the hearing on Tuesday, according to excerpts of Blumenthal’s testimony obtained by ABC News.
Following the Alaska blowout, the aviation giant experienced a series of high-profile episodes in January and March.
On Jan. 19, a Boeing 747-8 made an emergency landing after videos showed flames coming out of the plane’s left wing. The crew determined the plane had experienced engine failure. The same month, a plane at Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was delayed after its front nose wheel fell off.
In March, 50 people were injured after a Dreamliner bound for New Zealand dropped midflight due to a technical problem. On March 7, a Boeing was diverted to the Los Angeles airport after losing a tire during takeoff. Later that month, an exterior panel seemingly fell off a Boeing midflight.
In April, another Boeing whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, alleged the manufacturer was skipping crucial safety steps that endangered flyers. The Boeing engineer claimed the plane’s fuselage could eventually break apart midflight due to the manufacturer’s lack of quality control.
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Two Boeing whistleblowers have died this year after coming forward with evidence alleging the aviation company is not complying with safety standards.
John Barnett was found dead in South Carolina of a gunshot wound the day before he was set to give final testimony against Boeing. Investigators determined the death was a suicide. 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.
