Boeing Whistleblower Claims Spirit AeroSystems Regularly Shipped Defective Aircraft Fuselages

(RTTNews) - A former quality manager at Spirit AeroSystems, the leading supplier to Boeing Co. (BA) and a significant manufacturer of the 737 Max aircraft, has recently come forward with allegations of being pressured to downplay defects discovered during fuselage inspections.

Santiago Paredes, one of the latest whistleblowers from Boeing, shared his experiences to CBS News shortly after another whistleblower and Spirit AeroSystems employee passed away due to a rapid infection.

During his tenure at Spirit AeroSystems from 2010 to 2022, he discovered missing fasteners, bent parts, and even missing parts, which he was pressured to ignore.

Spirit AeroSystems management urged him to limit reporting defects, dubbing him "Showstopper" for highlighting defects that would cause delivery delays.

According to Paredes, the pressure to minimize defect reports increased in 2018 as Spirit AeroSystems shifted production from approximately 30 fuselages per month to over 50. He was instructed to change defect reporting procedures to reduce logged concerns, which he resisted. As a result, Paredes was demoted and reassigned within the company as retribution for raising alarm about the manufacturing practices.

After lodging an ethics complaint Paredes saw some of his grievances addressed, which resulted in the restoration of his leadership role and compensation for lost wages. However, despite these actions, Paredes chose to leave Spirit AeroSystems.

He explained to CBS News that "Working at Spirit, I almost grew a fear of flying. Knowing what I know about the 737, it makes me very uncomfortable when I fly on one of them."

Paredes' disclosures have been cited as evidence in a lawsuit brought forth by disgruntled Spirit shareholders who accuse the company of concealing widespread quality issues.

A Spirit AeroSystems spokesperson has responded to Paredes' claims, stating that they "strongly disagree" with his allegations and that they are "vigorously defending" against his claims.