New York Times: Boeing factory production problems in South Carolina "threaten to jeopardize safety"

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According to the newspaper, a review of "hundreds of pages of internal emails, corporate documents and federal records," as well as interviews with more than a dozen employees and more. Former employees of the North Charleston plant, revealed "a culture that often valued the speed of production quality." According to the newspaper, factory employees described faulty manufacturing, debris left in planes and pressure not to report violations of "nearly a dozen whistleblower claims and complaints about security matters "filed with the federal regulatory authorities.

The report comes as the company is grappling with the consequences of two deadly collisions on its 737 Max device, which have drawn attention to its production and safety standards. The Times noted that there was "no evidence" that the issues raised in the plant – which had been celebrated as "a hub of state-of-the-art manufacturing" when it opened in 2009 – " had resulted in major security incidents. "

In a number of cases, John Barnett, a former quality manager at Boeing, "discovered clusters of metal chips hanging over the wiring that controls the flight controls". Barnett told the Times that if these "spikes" "bursts" penetrate "the wiring, the result could be" catastrophic. "Barnett has filed a complaint for denunciation with regulators, according to the newspaper.

"As a quality manager at Boeing, you are the last line of defense before a flaw is revealed to the public," Barnett told The Times. "And I have not yet seen a Charleston plane on which I would call myself saying that he is safe and able to fly."

In a statement sent to plant employees and provided to CNN on Saturday, Brad Zaback, site manager for the plant and general manager of the 787 program, said the Times report "paints a flawed and inaccurate picture of the program and of our team (at the plant). "

Zaback, who said the Times refused the invitation to visit the factory, said that "quality is the foundation of our identity," adding that the factory provides "aircraft of the most high quality".

Still according to the Times, other employees also claimed that the plant was facing serious quality problems, but that they were subject to penalties and harassment for reporting their concerns.

Another former employee, Rich Mester, told The Times that he had also found problematic items in planes produced at the factory. Mester, a former technician who examined the aircraft before leaving the factory and who reported that the newspaper had been returned, said he found "putty tubes, nuts, elements of the construction process" at during his period in the company.

The debris found in the aircraft "cost Boeing in other factories", including their Everett (Washington) plant, where the company built the KC-46 tanker for the Army. the air, according to the Times.

CNN announced earlier this month that the Air Force had stopped accepting deliveries from the tanker plane and refueling after the discovery of debris in some aircraft .

An Air Force official told CNN earlier this week that aircraft already delivered would be sent back to the factory for a new round of inspections, which would involve removal of the panels to perform inspections.

In a statement to CNN, Lynn Lunsford, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said, "Safety is the number one priority of the FAA, we thoroughly investigate complaints from whistleblowers and take action if the allegations are true. "

Barbara Starr and Zachary Cohen from CNN contributed to this report.

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