Boeing Whistleblower’s Untimely Death Sends Shockwaves in the US
John Barnett, a former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the company’s production standards, has been found dead in the U.S. Barnett, who had worked for Boeing for 32 years until his retirement in 2017, had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company in the days leading up to his death. The Charleston County coroner confirmed that the 62-year-old died from a “self-inflicted” wound on March 9, and police are currently investigating.
Barnett, who worked as a quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant producing the 787 Dreamliner, had previously spoken out about workers fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft and raised serious problems with oxygen systems. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, he claimed that pressure to meet production targets had compromised safety, and he had discovered defective components being used in the assembly process. He also alleged that tests on emergency oxygen systems for the 787 showed a failure rate of 25%.
Boeing denied Barnett’s assertions, but a 2017 review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supported some of his concerns. The FAA found that at least 53 “non-conforming” parts in the factory were considered lost, leading to an order for Boeing to take remedial action. Barnett initiated legal action against Boeing after retiring, accusing the company of damaging his character and impeding his career due to the safety issues he raised.
At the time of his death, Barnett was in Charleston for legal interviews related to his case. Last week, he provided a formal deposition, and he was scheduled for further questioning. When he failed to appear, enquiries were made at his hotel, and he was discovered dead in his truck in the hotel car park.
Boeing expressed sadness over Barnett’s passing, stating, “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.” His death comes at a time when both Boeing and its key supplier, Spirit Aerosystems, face increased scrutiny over production standards, following incidents such as the emergency exit door blowing off a new Boeing 737 Max in January and an FAA audit finding instances where the company allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.
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