Another Boeing whistleblower, Santiago Paredes, alleges that he was instructed to falsify information when logging defects in 737 fuselages, raising concerns about the safety of the aircraft.
Santiago Paredes, a former Boeing inspector, has come forward with startling allegations that he was pressured to "falsify information" when logging defects in 737 fuselages. Speaking on "Fox & Friends First," Paredes described a "constant battle" to maintain integrity in his role, as management pushed for expedited inspections and reduced documentation of defects.
During his 12-year tenure at Spirit AeroSystems, a separate entity from Spirit Airlines, Paredes was responsible for final inspections of the fuselages, the main body of the aircraft. However, he claims that in 2022, he was instructed to complete inspections faster and be less specific about the discovered flaws.
"They asked me to document defects in a different way – basically falsify the information that was, on how the documents were logged," Paredes explained.
His concerns align with recent incidents involving Boeing aircraft, including a door plug blowout on a 737 MAX 9 jet in January. In the span of two days this week, a 737-300 caught fire and skidded off a runway in Senegal, a 767 was forced to land without its front landing gear in Turkey, and a 737-800 experienced a tire bursting upon landing, also in Turkey.
Paredes expressed no surprise at the January door plug incident, having previously issued warnings about the potential for a major occurrence. "I was a former employee, one on the investors’ lawsuit that was filed on December 19 and updated later on in March," he said. "But on December 19, I had a statement that was recorded even before that, months before the Alaskan Airlines, where I said that it was just a matter of time before something significant could happen."
When asked about his willingness to fly on a Boeing plane now, Paredes admitted to feeling nervous.
In response to Paredes' allegations, a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems strongly denied any wrongdoing and vowed to defend the company.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched an investigation into Boeing's statements regarding safety practices, examining whether the company or its executives misled investors.
Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened a new investigation after Boeing disclosed that it may not have completed required inspections on certain 787 Dreamliner airplanes.
Boeing declined to comment on the matter.
Paredes' revelations have shed light on the ongoing scrutiny of Boeing's safety practices and raised questions about the company's commitment to transparency and accountability.
