While this doesn't fall into the disturbing category, it was definitely over the professional ethics line.
We had built a pair of identical test systems for a major client, they replaced an older, larger, far less efficient system. Our systems were exposing a number of flaws in the client's test coverage because we were giving them more accuracy and in some cases testing things the way they were supposed to be for the first time.
Note that these parts were being tested after manufacturing and prior to taking their place in a rather complex, um, thing. Yes, let's just call it a thing that carries people in some manner.
So one of these tests that was raising eyebrows required the unit under test to move through a certain profile while we recorded the force and position. There was a certain event that had to happen within a window of position and force in order for the unit to pass. Our system just did the analysis and reported a pass/fail result, displaying the entire motion profile to the operator. The old system had some odd means of allowing the operator to move the "passing" window around on the plot, this was never fully explained to us.
They had a lot of units start failing this test, and we were asked to look into the cause. We couldn't find any reason, the systems were testing the parts in accordance with the client's customer's test plan (customer was responsible for assembly and test of the entire "thing" and as such dictated the test plan), the units were just all failing. So, there was a lot of investigation by our client, and they kept asking us to "make it work like the old system", which meant allowing the operator to move the passing threshold around.
This did not sit well with me, because what the fuck is the point of testing at all if you're simply going to demand that your operators be allowed to mask failing test results? The client wanted us to change the test so they wouldn't have to go to their customer and essentially tell them that they'd lied about the way they tested the six hundred or so units they'd already shipped them.
So, I was told to just make the changes and allow them to fudge the test results. I did it, because I didn't want to get fired and because the client accepted full responsibility. The reason why this still bugs me is because I've seen many instances of this sort of stupidity in American manufacturing. Rather than dealing with the client honestly and telling them that there was a mistake that needed to be fixed, things are masked, altered, or omitted in order to keep to production schedules and yield targets.
Hell, I had one friend that worked as a test engineer for Bose, in their car stereo production division. Those guys were so fucked up and producing such garbage that they were actually HAVING CARS CATCH FIRE because they were ignoring manufacturing defects to meet yield goals. He quit after a short time there.
Assholes.
what is the strangest, most interesting, perhaps disturbing job or incident you have been paid to do? 
