A former software manager has sued Wisk Aero, alleging that the Boeing-owned air taxi developer fired her after she raised concerns about reduced software testing. Briahna O’Neill filed the discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court this week.
O’Neill alleges that Wisk executives pressured engineers to reduce testing of flight-critical software to meet a 2025 test-flight deadline. The claims have not been proven in court, and Wisk said it could not comment on ongoing litigation.
Lawsuit Alleges Testing Was Reduced
According to the complaint, O’Neill submitted two reports through Wisk’s internal safety system. She claims the reports warned that engineers were being asked to perform less testing than required under Federal Aviation Administration standards.
O’Neill was dismissed on March 31, 2025, less than two weeks after formally submitting her second report, according to accounts of the lawsuit. She alleges that the timing of her termination indicates retaliation for raising the safety concerns.
Boeing declined to comment when contacted by The Seattle Times, while Wisk provided no detailed response beyond citing the pending litigation. Boeing made Wisk a wholly owned subsidiary in 2023 after supporting the company through earlier investments and technical cooperation.
Wisk Is Developing an Autonomous Air Taxi
Wisk is developing a four-passenger electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft designed to operate autonomously with oversight from human supervisors. The company says it has completed more than 1,750 test flights across six generations of aircraft.
Its Generation 6 aircraft completed its first flight in December 2025 and is intended to become the first autonomous passenger-carrying eVTOL certified in the United States. Wisk added a second aircraft to the flight-test program in May 2026, according to an official company update.
The company was also selected to participate in the FAA’s three-year eVTOL Integration Pilot Program with partners in Texas. The program is intended to test advanced aircraft under real operating conditions and provide data for future regulations governing commercial services.
Wisk has stated that its aircraft is being designed to meet or exceed commercial aviation safety standards, with backups for flight-critical systems. O’Neill’s lawsuit focuses on the internal software testing process used before the Generation 6 aircraft entered flight testing.
Featured image credits: logotyp.us
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