Boeing releases video of factory fatigue testing to prove aircrafts can be trusted after devastating whistleblower testimony

Boeing has released rare video of what it calls 'fatigue testing', intentionally and repeatedly damaging a panel of a 787-Dreamliner to show its strength.

The rarely-seen footage comes as the company fiercely fights back following a whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill, where a longtime engineer made alarming allegations about the embattled aircraft manufacturer.

Boeing is now pushing back in ways never before seen, going as far as to reveal video from some of its testing.

The footage shows parts of the same plane whistleblower Sam Salehpour deemed unsafe, staying strong during the application of a large, dynamic force despite being already intentionally damaged.

Boeing went on to issue a statement saying Salehpour's claims he was retaliated upon after airing concerns about practices he saw while with the company were false, and that they are 'fully confident' in the safety and durability of their aircraft.

Boeing on Thursday released rare video of what it calls 'fatigue testing,' intentionally and repeatedly damaging a panel of a 787-Dreamliner to show its strength

The rarely seen footage comes as the company fiercely fights back following a whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill. Seen here is former Boeing Engineer Sam Salehpour, who oversaw the company's quality practices for some 17 years

 'I'm here today because I felt I must come forward', longtime Quality Engineer Salehpour said while testifying that 787s are at risk of breaking apart in midair after extensive use due to gaps in the planes' fuselage.

'I found gaps exceeding the specification that were not properly addressed 98.7 percent of the time,' said Salehpour, who worked at the company for 17 years.

After raising those concerns, Salepour said he was moved to work on the company's 777s, the same plane that a wheel fell off of shortly after takeoff in San Francisco last month.  

There, he says he saw employees jumping on pieces of the airplane to force them to align - practices allegedly done while the manufacturer openly touted the craft as 'the most successful widebody airplane family in aviation history.'

Salehpour did not produce evidence of his claims, but said he was 'sidelined' after airing them for the first time in 2020, and physically retaliated against afterward.

'I called it the Tarzan Effect,' he told senators and onlookers gathered in Washington Wednesday.

'I raised concerns internally. I was sidelined. I was told to shut up. I received physical threats.'

In response, Boeing told ABC News overnight that 'retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing' and that brass 'have painstakingly inspected and reworked planes and improved [their] production quality.'

Sharing the footage of the 787 panel testing as supposed proof, they went on to proclaim, 'We are fully confident in the safety and durability of the 787-Dreamliner.'

As for the 777, Boeing said they remain confident in it as well.

'I'm here today because I felt I must come forward', said longtime Quality Engineer Salehpour while testifying that 787s are at risk of breaking apart in midair after extensive use due to gaps in the planes' fuselage.

After raising those concerns, Salepour said he was moved to work on the company's 777s, the same plane that a wheel fell off of shortly after takeoff in San Francisco last month on March 7 

The statement comes as Boeing continues to push back hard against these claims, asserting that all of their aircraft - whether it be the 787, 777 or 737 Max - are all safe.

When asked if he believed that declaration, Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said: 'The aircraft may be safe so far as people getting on planes shouldn't panic. But they need to be made fully safe,' 

He put particular emphasis on the word 'fully.'

ABC asked the senator - who is one of the wealthiest members of the house with a net worth well over $100million -  if they have seen any documented evidence of the whistleblower's claims.

He said he'd seen 'a lot of it', though, for now, it will remain classified.

During proceedings Wednesday, he produced picture of a nail in a tire the Boeing engineer, said he believes was placed intentionally in his car tire as retaliation for going against the company over the course of three years starting in 2020.

He and other senators part of the subcommittee are now asking more people to come forward, weeks after another Boring whistleblower was found dead.  

He had given warnings about the aviation giant's 787 Dreamliner and 737 Max models just weeks before his demise, after a separate incident involving a supposedly state-of-the-art 737 Max that happened in early January.

In saw an unused emergency exit door blow off the brand-new plane shortly after take-off from Portland International, spurring a full-blown investigation from the federal government.

The negative attention also stems from a separate incident involving a supposedly state-of-the-art 737 Max that happened in early January, where an unused emergency exit door blew off the brand-new plane shortly after take-off from Portland International 

Committee Chairman, US Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., holds a picture of a nail in a tire that Boeing engineer, Sam Salehpour said he believes was placed intentionally in his car tire as retaliation for being a whistleblower on Capitol Hill Wednesday

ABC asked the senator - who is one of the wealthiest members of the house with a net worth well over $100million - if they have seen any documented evidence of the whistleblower's claims. He said he'd seen 'a lot of it', though, for now, it will remain classified

He and other senators part of the subcommittee are now asking more people to come forward, weeks after another Boeing whistleblower - fellow  Quality Manager John Barnett - was found dead. He had been in the midst of a whistleblower retaliation suit against the manufacturer, and  was found dead from what police said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound

Barnett was found dead inside his truck on Saturday in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn in Charleston, pictured above. The had been meeting Boeing lawyers for depositions for his case against the company in South Carolina

In the weeks that followed, several other incidents involving Boeing planes occurred -  leading the FAA to discuss temporary actions it may take with the airline’s leadership, insiders familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. 

Weeks after door incident, another involving a Boeing 737 occurred March 4, shortly after takeoff from Florida's Fort Meyers.

It saw one of the United plane's engines catch fire, with footage from the cabin showing passengers screaming and crying as flames billowed up over one of the plane's wings.

After an investigation, it was revealed that one of the turbines on the United flight somehow ingested bubble wrap before the departure, the airline said.

No one was injured during the incident.

A few days later, on another United flight, a wheel fell off a Boeing 777-200 shortly after takeoff in San Francisco.  

As was the case with the other mishaps, the malfunctions occurred shortly after take-off, and saw the 256lb wheel crush several cars parked below after plummeting to the ground. 

The United Airlines flight on its way to Osaka was barely off the runway when the Boeing 777-200's wheel detached, with footage showing it laying on the runway following the frightening fall.

The plane with 235 passengers and 14 crew diverted to Los Angeles Airport after it was alerted to the landing gear failure at 11:35am March 8, before eventually landing safely at LAX at around 1.20pm with no further incident.

No injuries were reported on the ground. 

Then, on March 12, roughly 50 people were treated by first responders and at least five were hospitalized - after a LATAM airlines Boeing 787 dipped violently seemingly out of nowhere 

Another, involving a Boeing 737, occurred March 4 shortly after takeoff from Florida's Fort Meyers, and saw one of the plane's engines catch fire. Footage from the cabin showed passengers screaming as they witnessed flames billowing over one of the plane's wings

A few days later, on another United flight, a wheel fell off a Boeing 777-200 shortly after takeoff in San Francisco

As was the case with the other mishaps, it occurred shortly after take-off, and saw the 256lb wheel crush several cars parked below after plummeting to the ground 

Then, four days later, a United Airlines aircraft skidded off a runway into a grassy area after a rough landing in Houston

The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, suffered some form of gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport. The 160 passengers and six crew were not injured

Footage showed the plane stopped with its wing touching the ground by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder. The plane, in that case, was also a Boeing 737 Max

A few hours later, a flight from San Francisco to Mexico City was diverted to LA after an issue with the plane’s hydraulic system, United Airlines said - this time referring to a Boeing 777-300, the same model seen spewing hydraulic fluid on March 11 

United, at the time, issued a statement that seemingly attempted to quell riders' concerns: 'The 777-200 has six tires on each of its two main landing gear struts.

'The aircraft is designed to land safely with missing or damaged tires.'

Then, on March 12, roughly 50 people were treated by first responders and at least five were hospitalized - after a LATAM airlines Boeing 787 dipped violently seemingly out of nowhere.

Passengers reported that when the Dreamliner dropped, people not wearing seatbelts were tossed from their seats and thrust into the cabin ceiling and aisles. The plane later landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled. 

That same day, a United Airlines aircraft skidded off a runway into a grassy area after a rough landing in Houston. 

The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, is said to have suffered some form of gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport. The 160 passengers and six crew were not injured. 

Footage showed the plane stopped with its wing touching the ground by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder. 

The plane, in that case, was also a Boeing 737 Max.

A few hours later, a flight from San Francisco to Mexico City was diverted to LA after an issue with the plane’s hydraulic system, United Airlines said - this time referring to a Boeing 777-300, the same model seen spewing hydraulic fluid on March 11.

None of the 183 passengers or crew were injured.

The plant where Barnett worked for decades is where Boeing builds the 787 Dreamliner, one of several crafts from the airliner that's made headlines as of late. Pictured: an unrelated United Airlines Boeing 787-9 takes off from Los Angeles international Airport on July 30, 2022

The next day, retired Boeing Quality Manager John Barnett - who had been involved in whistleblower retaliation suit against the manufacturer - was found dead in South Carolina from what cops said was a self-inflicted gunshot.

His death came during a break in depositions in his whistleblower retaliation suit, in Charleston where he was to meet Boeing lawyers fighting his case.

It alleged Barnett, 62, witnessed under-pressure workers at the firm's then new plant in South Carolina were deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the assembly line, and that in some cases, second-rate parts were removed from scrap bins, before being fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays. 

Back in January, the staffer who spent four years overseeing quality checks at the Charleston plant issued stark warnings about the aviation giant's 787 Dreamliner and 737 Max models.

'This is not a 737 problem - this is a Boeing problem,' he said weeks before being found dead from an apparent suicide, after being asked if he believed the 737 was safe to fly following the door incident and the renewed FAA inspection.

'I know the FAA is going in and done due diligence and inspections to ensure the door close on the 737 is installed properly and the fasteners are stored properly,' he said, citing the parts that likely played a part in the incident. 

Boeing is seen here warning TMZ about the firm's production practices in January - mentioning 787s and 737s in particular. Lawmakers are seeking all records about manufacturing of Boeing 787 and 777 planes

'But, my concern is, "What's the rest of the airplane? What's the condition of the rest of the airplane?"'

He went on to provide a reason for that concern - one that he said led him to file the lawsuit against the aviation firm.

'Back in 2012, Boeing started removing inspection operations off their jobs,' he told TMZ's Charles Latibeaudiere and Harvey Levin, recalling his time as a quality overseer at Boeing's plant in South Carolina, which manufactured mostly 787s.

'So, it left the mechanics to buy off their own work,' he explained.

Barnett went on to charge that the incident involving the door was indicative of something greater - and something alleged in his lawsuit: Boeing turning a blind eye to safety concerns in order to raise their bottom line.

'What we're seeing with the door plug blowout is what I've seen with the rest of the airplane, as far as jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed, issues being ignored,' he charged, months before his sudden death.

'My concerns are with the 737 and 787, because those programs have really embraced the theory that quality is overhead and non value added.

Boeing's assembly plant in North Charleston - where the deceased worked for decades - is seen here. It manufactures mostly 787s

'Those two programs have really put a strong effort into removing quality from the process.'

The FAA appears to have stood up some of the expert's assertions after revealing how a six-week audit found 'multiple instances where [Boeing] allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements' of its 737s. 

At one point during the exam, feds found that mechanics at Spirit AeroSystems - one of Boeing's main suppliers - used a hotel key card to check a door seal, and a liquid Dawn soap to a door seal 'as lubricant in the fit-up process.' 

That action was 'not identified/documented/called-out in the production order,' a document outlining the probe said - spurring  FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to decree Boeing must develop a comprehensive plan to address such 'systemic quality-control issues' within 90 days.

He sent summary of its findings to the companies in its completed audit, after an all-day February 27 meeting with CEO Dave Calhoun. He did not state the specific corrective actions Boeing and Spirit must take.

'Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,' Whitaker explained at the time last week. 'We are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations.'

Calhoun responded in his own statement, saying that Boeing's leadership team was 'totally committed' to addressing FAA concerns and developing the plan.

Spirit, which makes the fuselage for the now scrutinized MAX, issued a statement saying it was 'in communication with Boeing and the FAA on appropriate corrective actions.'

 In response, Boeing claimed that after some 'quality stand-downs, the FAA audit findings, and the recent expert review panel report, we have a clear picture of what needs to be done.'

Since then, the 737 has continued to experience technical failures, after being grounded by the FAA for two years following the two crashes in 2018 and 2019. Both incidents involved Max planes, and left more than 300 passengers dead.

Since then, the 737 has continued to experience technical failures, after being grounded by the FAA for two years following the two crashes in 2018 and 2019. Teams collect personal effects and other materials from the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight in March 2019

That crash came less than a year after another flight on a Boeing 737 MAX jet, which left 189 people dead in Indonesia. Pictured are inspectors at the site of the Lion Air Flight crash in November 2018, on top of the 157 killed in the later incident

As the firm continues, to face a criminal investigation, Salehpour told NBC News that the jets should be grounded on account of 'fatal flaws' that could cause the plane to fall apart mid air. 

When asked by the outlet if he would put his own family on a 787, he replied: 'Right now, I would not.' 

Officials have also asked Boeing produce documents pertaining to its production practices going back at least six years. 

The lawmakers are seeking all records about manufacturing of Boeing 787 and 777 planes.

This will include any safety concerns or complaints raised by Boeing employees, contractors or airlines. 

A Boeing spokesperson said the company is cooperating with the lawmakers' inquiry and offered to provide documents and briefings.