Boeing ignores safety concerns and production problems, whistleblower claims

Boeing whistleblowers testified on Capitol Hill Wednesday, alleging that the aviation giant prioritized profits over safety and accusing it of discouraging employees from raising concerns about the company's manufacturing practices. 

Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer at Boeing, said in a prepared statement that Boeing's emphasis on rapid production undermined its commitment to safety, claiming that managers are encouraged to overlook "significant defects" in the company's aircraft.  

"Despite what Boeing officials state publicly, there is no safety culture at Boeing, and employees like me who speak up about defects with its production activities and lack of quality control are ignored, marginalized, threatened, sidelined and worse," he told members of a an investigative panel of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.