EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – A former engineer for jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney has filed a federal false claims lawsuit alleging the company knowingly sold “flawed” engines to the U.S. Air Force, which resulted in the likelihood of premature wear or even “catastrophic failure.”

The Journal Inquirer reports that Peter Bonzani Jr., of Bolton, filed the suit in 2016, but unsealed last week.

The suit also alleges Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., fired Bonzani after he brought his concerns to company officials.

The engine in question was used in the F-22 Raptor fighter.

The suit seeks triple damages for the Defence Department and back pay and unspecified damages for Bonzani.

Pratt & Whitey in a statement said “There is absolutely no merit to these claims.”

Franklin C. Turner, a lawyer who specializes in complex government contract cases, tells The Hartford Courant that the government has not intervened in the lawsuit, which is “a pretty strong indication that there is some sort of fatal deficiency in the case.”

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Information from: Journal Inquirer, http://www.journalinquirer.com