Boeing-backed eVTOL startup Wisk Aero is being sued by a former employee who claims they were fired for reporting that the software behind the autonomous air taxi service had failed to meet basic aviation software testing requirements.
According to a LinkedIn profile matching the plaintiff’s name and employment history, Briahna O’Neill’s acted as Wisk Aero’s Supervisor of Systems Engineering and Product Security, and reportedly led software integration for the aircraft’s vehicle management system (VMS) until 31MAR2025.
It was on that date, 12 days after O’Neill’s lawsuit alleges she formally reported her concerns through Wisk’s internal safety-reporting system and 10 days after raising them directly with the company’s head of safety, that O’Neill was fired.
“I spent years at Wisk believing in the company’s mission and in the future of this technology,” O’Neill wrote, in a statement given to The Seattle Times. “When I raised safety concerns to the company, I did so because I believed it was the right thing to do, not just for myself but for every passenger who would one day fly with this technology.”
“Wisk’s response was not one of accountability,” O’Neill continued. “It was retaliation.”
