Santiago Paredes, a former quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, has come forward with startling allegations regarding serious defects in aircraft components supplied to Boeing. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Paredes revealed that during his tenure, he routinely encountered various problems. Paredes, who worked at the Kansas-based manufacturing facility from 2010 to 2022, found numerous flaws in the fuselages—the main bodies of planes—destined for Boeing’s assembly lines.
Widespread Deficiencies in Aircraft Parts
According to Paredes, it was not uncommon for him to identify between 50 to 200 defects on a single fuselage slated for shipment to Boeing. These flaws ranged from missing fasteners and bent parts to the complete absence of certain components. Paredes earned the moniker “showstopper” for his persistent efforts to address these quality concerns. He claims that management consistently resisted his efforts to fix the problems.
Spirit AeroSystems Prioritized Production Over Quality
Paredes alleges that Spirit AeroSystems prioritized meeting production quotas, schedules, and budgets over addressing the consequences of shipping defective fuselages to Boeing. He stated, “They just wanted the product shipped out. They weren’t focused on the consequences of shipping bad fuselages. They were just focused on meeting the quotas, meeting the schedule, meeting the budget… If the numbers looked good, the state of the fuselages didn’t really matter.”
Paredes’ allegations form a crucial part of a legal action brought against Spirit AeroSystems by disgruntled shareholders. The lawsuit accuses the company of deliberately attempting to conceal widespread quality failings. Such actions exposed shareholders to financial losses when these issues came to light. Spirit AeroSystems has vehemently denied the assertions made in the legal action.
Meanwhile, Paredes has expressed reluctance to fly on a Boeing 737 Max aircraft. He cites concerns that it may still carry flaws from the Wichita factory. He stated, “I’d never met a lot of people who were scared of flying until I worked at Spirit, because they saw how they were building the fuselages.”