Whistleblower speaking out against the Boeing aerospace company has been found dead, currently under investigation. Image source: Edward Russell. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Former Boeing worker John Barnett, who was a whistleblower against the aerospace company’s practices, has reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot.
Originally from Louisiana, Barnett had been employed by Boeing for over three decades before retiring in 2017.
While working for the aircraft manufacturer as a quality manager, Barnett would carry out safety checks and oversee production while operating on the factory floor.
Barnett was in the middle of an ongoing whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing, where he was giving evidence for a lawsuit in Charleston.
He alleged that the company retaliated against him for repeatedly reporting defects and safety issues to his superiors.
Boeing has been under increasing scrutiny for repeated malfunctions in its products. This is focused on the 737 MAX line of airplanes, which were involved in two fatal crashes, and the 737-9, which has been grounded by Alaska Airlines after a manufacturing default which forced an emergency landing in Oregon.
The 737 MAX crashes that occurred in 2018 and 2019 respectively were both due to system malfunctions that killed everyone on board both flights, resulting in a death toll of 346.
Though the 737 MAX 8 crashes were largely due to a design issue involving newly implemented software, whistleblowers like Barnett explained that chronic manufacturing and quality control issues were increasingly noticeable in recently made planes.
This was seen in the Alaska Airlines incident in January 2024, where a plug covering an unused exit door and a piece of fuselage blew out in midair at almost 5,000 metres in altitude.
The cabin rapidly depressurized, and several oxygen masks allegedly either did not deploy or did not provide enough oxygen for passengers. None of the passengers or crew were seriously injured.
A civil lawsuit was launched against Boeing, with the airplane’s black box found to be unusable as evidence.
Barnett claimed to be ‘horrified but not surprised’, stating he had raised the issue of faulty oxygen masks only to have it “swept under the rug”. Barnett claimed that the quality issues were a company issue, rather than an isolated incident.
“Their culture is about speed and production and getting aeroplanes out the door. Any issues, any concerns that you bring up are going to slow them down.”
Boeing has responded to the news of Barnett’s death, stating “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Barnett’s attorneys in the deposition, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, also provided a statement regarding Barnett.
“He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it.”
The Charleston County coroner’s office confirmed the method of death and stated that the Charleston City police were investigating the matter.
