In the wake of the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, attorneys representing Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour have called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to immediately release its long-pending investigative report into structural safety concerns surrounding Boeing’s 787 aircraft. The downed aircraft involved in the June 12 crash was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
In a strongly worded letter sent shortly after news of the crash broke, attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks—representing Salehpour—pressed the FAA to disclose the findings of an investigation prompted by the whistleblower’s serious safety allegations. Salehpour, a veteran Boeing quality engineer with over 40 years of experience, had earlier this year flagged what he described as critical flaws in the manufacturing of Boeing’s 787 and 777 aircraft.
According to the letter, Salehpour warned that the structural integrity of these aircraft types could be compromised due to unsafe production shortcuts and faulty quality control practices. He alleged that during the 787 assembly process, Boeing engineers routinely skipped critical steps to ease manufacturing bottlenecks, including improperly aligning major fuselage joints and allowing debris to be trapped between structural components—issues he claims could affect more than a thousand planes.
These revelations led the FAA to open a formal investigation into Boeing’s production practices in March 2024. By December 2024, the lead FAA investigator reportedly informed Salehpour’s legal team that the probe was complete and acknowledged the value of the whistleblower’s input. “He assured us the report would be issued imminently,” the letter states. “We understood from his comments that many of Mr. Salehpour’s concerns had been validated.”
However, more than six months later, the FAA has yet to publish its findings. Salehpour’s lawyers now argue that in light of the Air India tragedy, continued delay is unacceptable. “On Thursday, the world learned of yet another tragic disaster involving the same 787 aircraft that Salehpour identified as flawed,” the letter reads. “The public cannot fully grasp the potential risks linked to Boeing’s manufacturing practices until the FAA’s report is made public.”
Attorney Lisa Banks, speaking to The Times of India, emphasized the urgency: “While it may take months or even years to pinpoint the exact cause of the Air India crash, we already know there is a critical FAA report—based on detailed whistleblower input—sitting unread by the public. It must be released without delay.”
Salehpour had earlier testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee, laying out detailed evidence of what he called a breakdown in Boeing’s safety culture. He also alleged retaliation for raising concerns internally, including threats of termination and exclusion from key engineering discussions.
“Public trust in aviation safety depends on transparency,” Banks stated. “The FAA has a responsibility to reassure passengers and stakeholders that the Boeing 787 is safe to fly. Keeping this report under wraps only deepens public anxiety.”
As investigations into the Air India crash continue, pressure is mounting on the FAA to disclose the outcome of its Boeing 787 probe. Families of victims, airline regulators, and aviation professionals worldwide now await the agency’s response to what could be a pivotal moment for global aviation oversight.