Three Boeing employees have filed a False Claims Act suit, alleging that the plane maker
installed defective parts in a range of aircraft and tried to cover up their use. The parts were supplied by Ducommun Inc., a longtime Los Angeles-area aircraft parts maker. The whistleblower employees claim that Boeing was aware of the problems but tried to cover them up.
Among the planes affected were ones delivered to the U.S. Air Force and Navy, as well as foreign military forces in Japan and Italy between March 1998 and November 2004. The employees, members of a Boeing audit team, contend that the parts did not conform to Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
The Los Angeles Times (subscription required) reported on the suit on May 28, 2005.