Boeing Whistleblowers Uncover Possibility Of 'Catastrophic' Event In Al Jazeera Exclusive (VIDEO)

Boeing 737NG planes might not be as safe as expected: Al Jazeera conducted interviews with Boeing whistleblowers about key structural parts in planes that are flown by over 150 airlines, according to Al Jazeera.

The whistleblowers claim that the parts in question were made by a Boeing subcontractor between 1996 and 2004 and were ill-fitting (so much so that they could lead to a "catastrophic" event) but Boeing used them anyway.

These whistleblowers produced documents from within the Boeing corporation about their concerns, yet, according to Al Jazeera, Boeing continues to do nothing about it.

WATCH the astonishing video below:

Comments

[DomainDiva]

06:05 PM on 12/19/2010

I have been in the aircraft maintenance planning and records business for 27 years. First let me say 650 flights (ie: pressurization cycles) is NOT a measure of stability or strength. Every pressurization cycle puts stress on the aircraft fuselage...think of it as inhaling (gear up...takeoff...cabin pressurized) and then exhaling on landing (depressurization). The greater the cycle accumulation WITHOUT the suspected part being inspected by X-Ray or other non-destructive testing measures, the greater the chance of an in-flight (pressurized failure). Any airline engineer at any airline who sees this video needs to go to work ASAP and start the inspection process under their approved maintenance program. The FAA will not issue an AD (Airworthiness Directive) until AFTER a substantial failure.

[rougebaisers]

10:16 AM on 12/19/2010

Outsource. Go ahead. Who cares if your company goes down?

[hellostats]

06:58 PM on 12/17/2010

These whistleblowers need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law!

[MamaBird62]

04:31 PM on 12/17/2010

Will it help everyone feel better that Mrs. Obama and the girls and their dog are flying to Honolulu today on a 737?
They are not taking AF1, but rather the smaller, more efficient Boeing 737 that is also part of the White House fleet.

[JohnnyKong]

06:25 PM on 12/17/2010

Sure, but we all know the planes they take get 'extra special attention' unlike the rest of the planes unimportant people take.

[MamaBird62]

09:17 PM on 12/17/2010

No doubt their airplanes get "extra special attention" but that doesn't mean that Boeing doesn't care about safety. If they didn't, they'd have been out of business long ago.

[BlueKansas]

02:42 PM on 12/17/2010

I'm just sorry I had to scroll to the bottom of the front page to see this headline. It give me an oogy feeling, since my husband flies regularly, and often on 737s. So if there is a real, credible threat of a catastrophe involving an airplane -- let's see it trumpted in the main headline, because dead passengers are dead passengers, whether it's from terrorism or mechanical failure.

[JPETERB]

05:11 PM on 12/17/2010

Knowingly selling substandard products as safe that will likely kill or maim the user is terrorism by any definition.

[rodnacious]

02:29 PM on 12/17/2010

Its all BS when you look at the history of this plane... http://www.b737.org.uk/accident_reports.htm

[Soule23]

02:23 PM on 12/17/2010

I know a number of Boeing engineers who refuse to fly on the new 787's

[MamaBird62]

03:08 PM on 12/17/2010

Really? Are they even on the test flight teams? The 787, like all new aircraft, will be subjected to thousands of full flight cycles before any commercial passenger ever boards one. They've done over 650 test flights so far, which uncover glitches and lead to changes, same as for all new aircraft.

[AirViceMarshalPark]

03:32 PM on 12/17/2010

The only people flying on 787s are the flight test crews; you are telling me that a "number" of pilots and technicians have quit their jobs in order to stay off the 787?

Why haven't I seen this reported elsewhere, especially on aviation websites? If you have a scoop like this, you should call a news organization and report it. maybe they will interview you?

[MamaBird62]

01:54 PM on 12/17/2010

So is everyone here planning to keep themselves and their loved ones off Boeing 737's this holiday season? I mean, you wouldn't come here to gripe about a corporation just for fun, would you?
If you believe this information means that Boeing has no regard for public safety and only cares about profit, then put it into action in your own life.

[Soule23]

02:19 PM on 12/17/2010

We don't really have a great deal of choice. This issue is illustrative of the need for gvt regulation.

[rodnacious]

02:32 PM on 12/17/2010

There are 6000 737s in use as of today... it has a 2.3% failure rate! Most of those failures were due to pilot error!

[MamaBird62]

02:57 PM on 12/17/2010

Of course you have choice! Unless you're getting hijacked, nobody is holding a gun to your head and saying get on the plane, are they?
If you think Boeing planes aren't safe, don't get on them.

[Alex Zhang]

12:27 PM on 12/17/2010

Just 737NG planes? I doubt it...

[ptg0]

08:57 AM on 12/17/2010

That is why they want to move to China. I sure am glad that we have Al Jazzera to keep us informed.

[MamaBird62]

02:01 PM on 12/17/2010

Boeing has employees in 14 other countries. Are they moving there too?

[Donns]

07:59 AM on 12/17/2010

Probably what will happen is that anyone who gets caught watching Al-Jazeera news will get put on a Homeland Security watch list. Nothing will become of the information - that might cut into profits.

[EastTraveler]

07:45 AM on 12/17/2010

So will the FAA now investigate or sit on their butts and do nothing as not to create a huge news story? Pathetic...

[M33TBallz]

06:49 AM on 12/17/2010

Despite how many times I have flown I cannot help but think each flight might be my last. I don't get that feeling driving a car, taking a bus or riding a train. News like this only confirms my paranoia however it won't stop me from boarding my next plane.

[rodnacious]

02:35 PM on 12/17/2010

There are more people dying in car accidents on our highways then in any given year in aviation history! Planes are the safest form of travel.

[melton244]

04:59 AM on 12/17/2010

Wow, that is all that flies in/out of my city. I will think twice now about flying unless I drive to another airport.

[113]

12:18 AM on 12/17/2010

This is why I don't fly.