Boeing whistleblower found dead in South Carolina hotel parking
John Barnett—a whistleblower who revealed safety concerns within airplane manufacturing firm Beoing—was discovered dead in his truck at a South Carolina hotel parking lot. Investigators from Charleston County said that Barnett died from a "self-inflicted" wound on Saturday. Barnett had voiced concerns about Boeing's production standards and was in the midst of a legal battle with the company when he passed away. The aircraft manufacturer expressed condolences, stating, "We are saddened by Barnett's passing. Our thoughts are with his family."
Safety concerns raised by Barnett
Barnett—who worked at Boeing from 2010 to 2017—alleged that components that failed statutory checks were being used in manufacturing of 787 Dreamliners. He asserted that the production process was unsafe and rushed. In 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a review that validated some of Barnett's concerns, finding at least 53 faulty parts. Moreover, he said that tests on emergency oxygen systems had 25% failure rate, meaning that one in four could fail to deploy in a real-life emergency.
Legal battle and ongoing investigation
Barnett filed a defamation lawsuit against Boeing, claiming that his career and reputation suffered as a result of his whistleblowing. Boeing has refuted all charges. At the time of his death, he was in Charleston for legal interviews linked to that case. He gave a deposition last week and was scheduled to be questioned on Saturday. Barnett's death comes at a time when production standards at both Boeing and its key supplier Spirit Aerosystems are under intense scrutiny.
Video: Netizens share Barnett's testimony
Boeing under scrutiny after plane door blows off
This comes weeks after an unused emergency exit door blew off a brand-new Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off. Investigation revealed that four crucial bolts securing the door panel of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet were found to be missing. Following the incident, the FAA ordered inspections of 171 Boeing planes worldwide. Just last week, the FAA said an audit of Boeing had found "multiple instances where the company failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements."
