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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — At its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing complex on Monday, Boeing responded to damaging new whistleblower allegations by detailing the results of testing it has done since small gaps between fuselage pieces on the jets were discovered four years ago.

Boeing has made meticulous, time-consuming changes to the way it manufactures the 787’s carbon composite airframe to eliminate the gaps. It must do so to meet the specification.

More important, Boeing insists that extensive testing overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration and inspections of the current 787 fleet show definitively that the gaps, which exist in nearly 1,000 Dreamliners flying today, pose zero safety risk.

“We haven’t identified any safety issues,” said Steve Chisholm, chief engineer for Boeing Mechanical and Structural Engineering. “We have not seen anything in service related to [the gaps] that would indicate that there is an issue with the in-service fleet.”

In a news briefing and tour of the 787 fabrication and final assembly facility in North Charleston, S.C., Boeing scrambled to respond to the allegations by Sam Salehpour — an Everett engineer who worked on the 787 and 777 programs, now a public whistleblower — that it has not eliminated the gaps and that they pose a risk of “catastrophic failure.”

Salehpour’s allegations come as Boeing continues to face fallout from a Jan. 5 midair blowout that saw a panel pop out of a 737 MAX 9. That incident prompted ongoing inquiries into the 737 program and raised fresh questions about Boeing’s broader safety culture.

In response to Salehpour’s claims, Boeing described its testing and manufacturing changes to journalists during a visit to its North Charleston facility.

Engineers smashed 300-pound spheres swinging on a pendulum into a fuselage section to deliberately damage it, causing one of the stiffening rods to break. They then applied loads 15% greater than those typical in flight and repeated the load tests 40,000 times. Boeing found “there was no growth in the damage,” Chisholm said.

He contrasted this with what happens on a metal airframe, such as the 737 or the 747. If a crack develops in the thin metal skin, it can propagate and tear through the structure as if it were unzipping.

While metal fatigue might result in such cracks, Chisholm said fatigue damage to a composite material would take the form of delamination, when the plies of carbon fiber separate.

But no delamination was observed. The localized damage Boeing deliberately inflicted did not spread.

The engineers also cut through a pressurized fuselage with a guillotine blade, slicing a 4-foot section and severing one of the circumferential frames.

The fuselage didn’t even lose pressure, and testing showed the tear did not propagate. The fuselage was able to maintain its structural integrity well above the loads expected in normal operation.

Boeing said the gaps were present in the first Dreamliners ever built, including the ground-test airplane that over five years starting in 2010 was cycled through the loads and pressurization of 165,000 simulated flights — 3½ lifetimes — without showing any structural damage.

Salehpour, the whistleblower, claimed last week that Boeing’s own data from detailed inspections of 26 airplanes showed nearly 99% had gaps larger than the specification of 5 thousandths of an inch, about the thickness of two sheets of paper, and the small filler pieces of glass fiber material used to fill such gaps — known as shims — were not inserted.

At two of the main circumferential joins on those 26 airplanes, “98.7% of the time, the gaps exceeding 5 thou are not shimmed,” Salehpour said at a virtual news conference last week with his lawyers. “Nearly 8,000 gaps exceeding 5 thou were not shimmed.”

Chisholm said the result was “exactly opposite.”

He said Boeing removed every fastener on each of the five circumferential joins on all of those airplanes, about 2,000 fasteners for each join, and measured the gap at each hole — a so-called through-hole inspection.

“Close to 99% were fully conforming and met the 0.005 inch requirement,” Chisholm said.

Boeing also addressed a second claim by Salehpour: that Boeing’s use of a technique to join the airplane sections called “One Up Assembly” left drilling debris in the gaps.

Historically, Boeing would mate two sections together and drill holes, then separate them to clean the holes and smooth out any metal edges on the holes, and only then put the sections back together and insert fasteners.

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One Up Assembly, used for some 787 joins, means drilling and fastening the sections together precisely in a single pass, without separating them to clean the drilled holes.

Salehpour said drilling debris was found “80% of the time” on those 26 airplanes Boeing studied in detail.

But Chisholm said the technique is used only when it can be demonstrated that it doesn’t cause debris in the gaps. Furthermore, he said Boeing did tests deliberately inserting both composite and metal drilling debris into the gaps at the interface to assess the impact.

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Those tests “show that it’s not detrimental,” Chisholm said.

On a tour of the building where the two aft fuselage sections are fabricated and joined, Lisa Fahl, Boeing’s vice president of airplane programs engineering, described the steps Boeing has taken to eliminate any gaps above the 5 thousandths of an inch specification, adding considerable work and delay to the assembly process.

New laser measuring devices are used to detect surface unevenness at the edges of the fuselage sections where they are joined, which can result in gaps.

And since 2020, as part of what it calls the “Join Verification Process,” Boeing has inserted a time-consuming extra step at certain difficult joins.

In the normal process, after pulling the sections together, temporary fasteners are inserted and the gaps are measured. After any necessary shims are inserted, permanent fasteners are then tightened.

Since 2020, there’s now an extra step for certain joins with complex contours such as the join of the two aft body sections: a “through-hole” inspection. Each of the 2,000 fasteners at each join is removed by hand and a small tool is inserted to measure the gap. When it is within specification, a new permanent fastener is inserted.

All the 787s previously built and still parked now have to go through this process before they can be cleared for delivery.

A Boeing engineer on the tour said the hope is that as control of the gaps is tightened in the build process for new 787s, this extra check can eventually be dropped.

Chisholm said Boeing is heartened by the data from the 787s in service.

He said 671 have completed their heavy maintenance check required after flying for six years. Another eight have completed their 12-year check.

Boeing sent teams of engineers to take a close look at 10 of those maintenance inspections.

“Through all of this, there’s been zero airframe fatigue findings on the 787 fleet,” Chisholm said.

Boeing said it is up to the FAA, once it has all the data from Boeing’s tests and from the in-service fleet, to decide if anything needs to be done about the fuselage gaps on the 787s flying today.

“It’s a long, very deliberate process,” Chisholm said. “We do expect to complete it this year.”

In addition to discussing the 787 in detail, Boeing also responded to Salehpour’s critique of a new 777 build process that was introduced in 2015.

Salehpour said the 777’s metal fuselage panels that are fastened together into fuselage sections in Everett don’t come together easily and that machinists sometimes jump on the panels to force them into position.

“That’s not part of our process,” said Boeing’s Fahl.

And Chisholm said: “I would expect any employees who are seeing other employees jumping up and down on panels to let us know.”

He added that 27 airplanes built in the new process have completed their eight-year heavy maintenance checks with no issues found.

On Wednesday, Salehpour is due to speak at a U.S. Senate hearing.

After the Boeing briefings finished, his lawyer, Debra Katz, issued a statement saying that Salehpour had tried for years inside Boeing to see data that would allay his concerns but was rebuffed and managers retaliated against him for raising the issue.

“Boeing has always said ‘just trust us,’ when it comes to safety,” Katz wrote. “It’s clear that standard is no longer sufficient, and any data provided by Boeing should be validated by independent experts and the FAA before it is taken at face value.”

Dominic Gates: 206-464-2963 or [email protected]; Dominic Gates is a Pulitzer Prize-winning aerospace journalist for The Seattle Times.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The future of land in North Charleston lies in the hands of city council members, and it’s a breath of relief for concerned community members and a strain for the company urging its industrial use.

The city council will be the next step forward for the proposed plan after a request to rezone two parts of the former Baker Hospital property on the Ashley River. They will vote on whether the land will be rezoned from R-1 residential to M-2, heavy industrial and M-1, light industrial.

The city’s Planning Commission on Monday voted 5-1 to deny the recommendation to rezone before passing it onto council - saying it didn’t align with the best interest of the city’s comprehensive plan, the location to the Ashley River and the public interest of surrounding neighborhoods.

The land, defined as a brownfield, is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

“We don’t need industry in our living rooms. We don’t need to breathe the fluid of industry in our neighborhoods. We don’t need to be impacted negatively that way,” Union Heights resident Skip Mikell says.

The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission and Sea Fox Boats have a 90-year lease with the goal of building a manufacturing plant on 11 acres of the 46-acre property. Sea Fox Boats owner Freddy Renken says they plan to bring 200 or more jobs to the area and will fund the construction of a waterfront public park.

The commission says rent paid by Sea Fox Boats and its dry stack marina would offset operations and maintenance for the park. Nothing has been finalized or started because this is in a due diligence phase.

The park itself would have the following amenities:

Renken did not speak at the meeting but a company lawyer shared insight on his behalf:

“What is there not to want about this? To turn a brownfield into a park that provides jobs and an economic engine. With Sea Fox Boats, the City of North Charleston will be able to build planes, cars, boats. I think that is pretty cool,” Ronald Richter says.

Despite the push for approval, a resounding “no” was heard from a crowd of North Charleston homeowners and supporters. They say the company never shared its plans with surrounding neighborhoods and businesses, including Union Heights, Chicora-Cherokee and Accabee.

Mayor Reggie Burgess also pushed for a full recreational park option to be considered following the initial plan release.

Charleston County Parks states in this press release they planned on releasing public input meeting dates in early 2024. As of now, no updates have been provided.

The commission released the following statement:

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) recently entered into a public-private partnership with the locally-owned Sea Fox Boat Company at its Ashley River site. The company is in a two-year due diligence phase, which includes addressing zoning and permitting issues.

Per the partnership, Charleston County Parks would continue to own the entire property, with tenant Sea Fox funding the creation and maintenance of the future public park. This would allow Charleston County Parks to develop and operate the park without taxpayer funds. Because of the site’s history as the former Baker Hospital and as a phosphate processing plant, it has created a brownfield that will require costly environmental efforts to make it suitable for recreational use.

The future county park would offer residents green space and views of the Ashley River. Other possible amenities at the park include a fishing/crabbing dock, trails, playground, splash pad, shelter for camps or programs, and unique event space. Public input meetings will be held to learn what the communities would like to see on the site. Once the zoning process has been completed, we will determine the timeline for the public input meetings.

Seventeen people spoke in opposition to the plan. Neighbors say adding the plant would not benefit their community in terms of work or play and are asking for the area to be solely a park.

“The neighborhoods we represent have some of the lowest unemployment rates in North Charleston. Chicora-Cherokee specifically has a 2.9 unemployment rate, which means our people are already working,” KJ Kearney says.

The planning commission stated in the agenda item they recommended denial because they believe the property’s location to the Ashley River makes the plant unfeasible and there is a “lack of support” to the city’s comprehensive plan.

Sea Fox Boats argues the area they are requesting rezoning for is on a brownfield, the former site of a phosphate processing plant and hospital, which would need environmental maintenance to make the area suitable for recreational purposes or greenspace.

North Charleston natives say they remember the smells, the sights and the feelings of growing up near the former plant and the concerns it raised for health and wellness.

“Those people don’t live here. So whatever damage they do, they leave at the end of the shift and go home. We live here and if there’s anything that we can do to prevent that kind of thing reoccurring. We’re going to do so,” Mikell says.

The site was donated to Charleston County Parks in 2015 by Charleston residents Michael and Jenny Messner of the Speedwell Foundation. The organization did not respond to a request for comment.

“The owner of that property is the Charleston County Parks and Recreation. Their purpose for being is to create parks, preserve and protect greenspaces,” Richter says. “We are not looking for the high bidder here, we are looking for the perfect partner to clean this place and make it a place of pride.”

The discussion will now go before city council starting on April 11 for its first reading. The next opportunity for public input will be on April 18.

For more information on the project, click here.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Pop culture fans and musical lovers alike can find something to enjoy in the 2024-25 Best of Broadway season coming to North Charleston.

The North Charleston Performing Arts Center on April 15 announced its seven-show season that will run from September 2024 to March 2025. Tickets for the new season go on sale May 13.

Best of Broadway’s 25th season at the North Charleston PAC welcomes the return of classics such as “Les Miserablés” and “Mamma Mia” and unveils three shows never performed before in the Lowcountry.

The newcomers include “Beetlejuice,” “The Tina Turner Musical” and “The Life and Times of The Temptations.” Bonus shows include “Alton Brown Live” and “Riverdance 30 – The New Generation.”

“This year's lineup promises to be a celebration of storytelling, bringing the brilliance and dazzle of Broadway directly to our doorstep,” said North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess. “It's our pleasure to continue enriching North Charleston's cultural landscape with the best that Broadway has to offer. Get ready for another unforgettable season that's sure to captivate and inspire.”

Season ticket packages start at $310 and are available at northcharlestoncoliseumpac.com.

The shows this season are:

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Sept. 27–29, 2024

An uplifting comeback story like no other, "TINA – The Tina Turner Musical" is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.

Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations

Dec. 20–22, 2024

This electrifying, smash-hit Broadway musical follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts, creating an amazing 42 Top 10 hits with 14 reaching No. 1.

For the past 40 years, a plethora of local and regional artists gather in North Charleston to unveil their works at dozens of community events as spring begins. And this year is no different.

The 41st annual North Charleston Arts Festival takes place May 1-5, celebrating visual arts, theater, dance, literature and music with a variety of exhibits, performances and activities.

This year’s festival will hold more than 30 events across the city of North Charleston that are free to attend, including art demonstrations, kids' programs and an Arty Block Party.

During the entire run of the festival, the Charleston Area Convention Center will host judged art and photography competitions such as the South Carolina Palmetto Hands craft competition, as well as various tri-county youth art and high school sculpture competitions and exhibits.

Patrons can wander through hundreds of art pieces on display while enjoying music and food during the festival’s opening celebration that starts at 6:30 p.m. May 1 in honor of this year’s award winners.

North Charleston City Hall will display the 17th annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition entitled “Celebrating Black Music,” which will remain on display after the festival until June 18.

Other visual art highlights include a solo exhibit at Park Circle Gallery featuring paintings by the festival's poster design competition winner Jirah Perkins, as well as the 18th annual National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition installed at North Charleston Riverfront Park.

This year’s festival offers two events for the literary-minded, including a workshop hosted by award-winning author Maria S. Picone in which attendees will hear a reading and respond with prompts to spark creative writing.

Music performances, ranging from bossa nova and bluegrass to rock and reggae, will take place at a variety of venues, including libraries and businesses.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Big changes could be coming to liquor sales in South Carolina, and several Lowcountry distilleries say those changes could mean a big boost in business.

Bill H. 4231 would allow counties and municipalities to let voters decide via referendum whether to allow Sunday liquor sales at stores in South Carolina.

It would also allow micro-distilleries, which are defined in the bill as manufacturers that ferment and distill on-site, to sell liquor on Sundays without needing to pass a referendum.

“We’re dark here on Sundays, there’s really nothing going on,” North Charleston’s Beyond Distillery co-owner Ryan Sadis says.

Another North Charleston business, Striped Pig Distillery, is closed on Sunday as well.

“So many people don’t come to do their events with us on Sundays because they can’t buy bottles,” Striped Pig Distillery CEO Pixie Paula Dezzutti says.

Firefly Distillery is closed, too, according to its owner, Scott Newitt.

“Sixty-five percent of the people that come here are tourists, and they show up Sunday and they can’t buy spirits,” Newitt says.

Sadis agrees that distilleries are a tourism-driven business.

“Without having Sundays, those are the days people are off, those are the days people travel,” Sadis says.

And if the Lowcountry prides itself on being a tourist destination, Dezzutti says, it needs to “pony up,” to be able to serve them.

“They come here, and they find out that they can’t even purchase a bottle, they’re so disappointed. I see their faces drop,” she says.

Rep. Marvin “Mark” Smith (R-Berkeley), a sponsor of the bill, says distillers are different from retail stores because they can only sell their products, and are capped at six bottles per day per customer.

When it comes to liquor stores, he says it’s time for South Carolina voters to decide what they want for their county.

“This bill would not force Sunday liquor sales across the state. This bill, if it advances, simply allows each county to put the referendum on the ballot,” he says.

The bill passed favorably in a subcommittee last week and is now moving on to the full committee, scheduled for this week, Smith says. After the full committee, he says it will be debated on the House floor before repeating the entire process in the State Senate.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

SHL Medical, a Switzerland-based provider of advanced drug delivery solutions, which is building a $150 million facility in North Charleston, has acquired Superior Tooling Inc., a Wake Forest, North Carolina-based manufacturer of plastic injection molds.

With two new manufacturing sites underway in North Charleston, and Zug, Switzerland, complementing the existing facilities in Taiwan, SHL addresses the growing demand in the autoinjector market, according to a news release.

Superior Tooling will support SHL’s strategic manufacturing operations across the Southeast, especially strengthening its vertical capabilities for the new site in North Charleston, while solidifying its local presence, the release stated.

This expansion of strengths underlines SHL’s global strategy, emphasizing one of its distinctive features — full in-house manufacturing — and positions tooling as one of SHL’s core competencies just a few hours from the new manufacturing site in South Carolina, where SHL plans to invest over $150 million and employ around 165 Charleston-area residents, the release stated.

“The demand for our autoinjectors, including treatment areas such as diabetes and weight management, is growing rapidly,” Ulrich Faessler, chairman and CEO of SHL Medical, said in the release. “Through continuous advancements and dedication, we deliver on our strategic vision to uphold our position as market leaders. This acquisition marks a significant milestone in our journey towards globalizing our operations to better serve our customer base. We are happy to welcome Superior Tooling into the SHL family.”

Expanding tooling capabilities globally

The acquisition of Superior Tooling not only supports the tooling needs of SHL’s in-house manufacturing but also its strategy to deliver the highest quality tools to customers across industries, according to the release. The company will work closely with SHL’s existing tooling departments to develop new solutions for its global customer base.

“This marks a significant step forward for our potential and growth trajectory. We take great pride in having our capabilities recognized by a global player, and eagerly look forward to maximizing them as integral members of SHL Medical,” said Robbie Earnhardt, president of Superior Tooling. “I am confident that the synergies between our capabilities and SHL’s established tooling expertise will prove highly advantageous for both our existing and new customers”, expresses Robbie Earnhardt, President of Superior Tooling.

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