Boeing jets are as safe as could reasonably be expected of a human/machine interface given the physical and economic conditions under which large airplanes are built and operated. The same might be said of Airbus. Headlines like "Are Boeing's big jets safe?" change nothing except perhaps the perceptions of those individuals who accept sound bites and headlines as the basis for their opinions. I think most of us will agree that this mentality is a little too common. I am not familiar with this "Mother Jones" either. I did not find the writer's choice to quote a representative of the air traffic controllers union on matters of aircraft structural parts specifications conformity to to be a particularily well informed one.
So it appears that some aircraft parts supplied by a Boeing vendor probably required re-inspection after airplanes were delivered to assure that they were airworthy. This apparently resulted at least in part from allegations by some individuals involved in the vendor/OEM parts acceptance process that structural parts delivered to Boeing for installation on production aircraft did not meet design specifications. I have no information as to the accuracy of these allegations and no information is offered in the articles to support or refute the claims. If a problem exists, it will be addressed by Boeing under the scrutiny of the FAA.
In the rather unlikely case that fraud can be proven against any individual, sanctions may be imposed by the FAA and the case may be referred to the DOJ for criminal prosecution. The whistleblower case is limited to the issue of unfavorable or discriminatory actions taken by an employer against an employee as a result of the employee engaging in the "protected activity" of reporting safety violations. That case is tried in Federal Labor Court and may result in compensatory damage awards for the employees if they win.
So it is really three separate issues that must be decided. The airworthiness issues must be addressed by the OEM, the vendor and the FAA. If violations are found, sanctions may be imposed on the non-compliant parties. The fraud issue may be investigated by any of several agencies with cooperation from the FAA. Sanctions and/or criminal charges can result if evidence of conspiricy or willful fraud is found. (not very likely) Finally, the whistleblowers will have their day in labor court as they seek money from their employers to offset any damages incurred as the result of their reporting activity. Whistleblower protections exist with the stated pupose to promote open reporting of safety concerns without fear of reprisal. While it is not a perfect solution and is open to abuses, it is still better than some of the alternatives.
Meanwhile, the Boeings will continue to fly as usual. The straps will be inspected as determined necessary. It may cost Boeing some money if cracking in these straps becomes common and they have to replace them. Whatever else happens, I don't expect that anything very sensational will occur as a result of this issue. But it might be a good basis for one of those evil corporate empire conspiracy thriller books!
Best regards,
Westhawk