Ex-worker of Boeing subcontractor says reporting 787 issues got him fired

A mechanic who was contracted by Boeing’s supplier Spirit AeroSystems to repair airplanes in Everett has filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, saying he witnessed substandard work on the Boeing 787 and was terminated after raising the issues.

Attorneys filed complaints with the FAA and OSHA on behalf of Richard Cuevas, an employee of Strom Aviation and contractor for Spirit AeroSystems, who did repair work at Boeing’s Everett hangar beginning in March 2023.

Cuevas alleges that, without Boeing’s permission, Spirit changed manufacturing and assembly specifications on drilling holes in the fasteners of the forward pressure bulkhead of 787s, according to a news release sent by the law firm Katz Banks Kumin. That could compromise power and air pressure on planes, Cuevas says.

Boeing said in a statement Wednesday that Cuevas’s concerns were thoroughly investigated and engineering analysis “determined the issues raised did not present a safety concern and were addressed.” The statement did not identify Cuevas by name.

“We are reviewing the documents released today and will thoroughly investigate any new claim,” Boeing said in the statement.

Cuevas’s primary duties were to remove and replace cargo doors on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Cuevas claims he witnessed problems with three planes.

He says Spirit moved him to Wichita, Kansas in September to work in a manufacturing plant for Atlas, a Spirit supplier.

When Cuevas expressed his concerns, according to the complaint, Boeing and Spirit were addressing increased scrutiny from the Jan. 5 incident on an Alaska Airlines flight where a panel blew off a 737-9 MAX plane as it climbed out of Portland. The panel was a door plug used to seal a hole in the fuselage sometimes used to accommodate an emergency exit.

After he raised the issues with Spirit management and with Boeing, according to his claims, he was fired in March 2024. Boeing said it’s not involved in the personnel decisions of subcontractors.

“Our leadership is aware of the allegations and looking into the matter. We encourage all Spirit employees with concerns to come forward, safe in knowing they will be protected,” Spirit spokesman Joe Buccino wrote in an email.

Strom, a Minnesota-based aviation staffing company, didn’t respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

Cuevas is represented by the same attorneys who worked with Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour. Earlier this year, Salehpour testified before a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee, accusing Boeing of hiding safety risks on the 787 Dreamliner and 777 widebody jets.

Boeing has insisted the 787 fuselage gaps are not a safety risk, a claim that’s been supported by John Hart-Smith, a retired Boeing engineer and senior technical fellow who examined the data behind Salehpour’s allegations.

The FAA is investigating the 787 Dreamliner following a company disclosure in April that South Carolina employees falsified inspection records on work where the wings are joined to the fuselage body. This investigation is unrelated to Salehpour’s testimony.

This story will be updated.