Elon Musk Once Said Boeing Had 'Too Many Non-Technical Managers' — Whistleblower Flagged Flawed 787 Dreamliner Manufacturing: All the Warnings Before Air India Plane Went Down With 242 Lives Aboard - Boeing (NYSE:BA)

Safety and quality control issues surrounding Boeing Co. BA aircraft are back in the spotlight after a fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operated by Air India, claimed 241 lives in the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday. There were 242 people onboard, including the crew.

Early woes

The aircraft was first introduced in 2011 with Japan's All Nippon Airways. However, the 787 Dreamliner was grounded in 2013, just two years after its introduction, by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over issues with the Lithium-ion batteries and incidents of planes catching fire.

Following the issues with the batteries, Tesla Inc. TSLA and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk offered to help via a tweet on the social media platform X (then Twitter). Musk also criticized Boeing last year, saying that there were "too many non-technical managers" at the aircraft manufacturer.

The Whistleblowers

Musk isn't the only one who has criticized the company. Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has been under scrutiny following allegations against the company by three separate whistleblowers, Sam Salehpour, John Barnett and Richard Cuevas, all claiming that they witnessed substandard practices during the aircraft's production.

Salehpour had alleged that he saw "people jumping on aircraft parts" and that he "observed shortcuts taken by Boeing, resulting in drilling debris left in interfaces and deformation of composite material."

Barnett, on the other hand, claimed workers were installing substandard parts on the aircraft under pressure. He was a part of a lawsuit providing evidence against Boeing before his sudden death, resulting from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2024. Following the allegations, the New York Times reported that the FAA was investigating Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and its alleged issues.

The 737-MAX incidents

Separately, Boeing was also under FAA scrutiny for two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX aircraft in 2018’s Lion Air Flight 610 and 2019’s Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which took over 346 lives.

The crashes resulted in the FAA grounding the 737 MAX aircraft temporarily, as well as a DOJ prosecution, which Boeing avoided by entering into a $1.1 billion agreement with the DOJ, where the company pleaded guilty to misleading the regulators.

What Boeing said

However, Boeing has continued to deny the allegations and has maintained that their aircraft are safe. "Claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft," Boeing said to the New York Times amid claims by the whistleblowers.

In the aftermath of the crash in Ahmedabad, company CEO Kelly Otberg said that "a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau."

Boeing stock has fallen over 7% since the crash, as authorities in India are considering temporarily grounding the country's 787 Dreamliner fleet. Air India currently operates 34 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners.

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