A former Boeing employee responsible for providing evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company was found dead in South Carolina on Saturday. John Barnett, 62, worked at Boeing for 32 years and retired in 2017. The day before his death he testified about a slew of issues he identified while working at a Boeing plant responsible for inspecting the 787 aircraft before delivery to customers. Barnett filed a defamation lawsuit against Boeing, who denied his accusations. He was due to appear Saturday for further questioning, but never made it to the deposition.
Barnett’s body was found in a vehicle located in a Holiday Inn parking lot. “Upon their arrival, officers discovered a male inside a vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound to the head,” police told NPR in a statement, “He was pronounced deceased at the scene.” Police in Charleston are investigating, though they believe that he died from “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Charleston police are still investigating.
In 2019, Barnett told BBC that he had uncovered major problems with oxygen systems on the 787. Boeing said that they had “identified some oxygen bottles received from the supplier that were not deploying properly,” but reported that none of those defective bottles were ever installed on any aircraft. Barnett also alleged that sub-standard parts set to be discarded were installed on many planes to prevent production delays.
“As a quality manager at Boeing, you’re the last line of defense before a defect makes it out to the flying public,” Barnett told The New York Times, “And I haven’t seen a plane out of Charleston yet that I’d put my name on saying it’s safe and airworthy.” He believed that the structural integrity of the planes was at risk and that passengers’ safety was effectively compromised. While Barnett reported these issues to management, they did not act. A panel of experts criticized Boeing, telling the Federal Aviation Administration that there was a “disconnect” between upper management and employees that resulted in a lack of safety precautions. Employees feared retaliation if they brought forth their concerns.
Boeing has had a string of concerning incidents. On Monday, at least 50 people were injured by what officials describe as a “strong movement” on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Earlier this month, a United Airlines Boeing 777 had to make an emergency landing after the plane lost a tire shortly after takeoff. In January, a door plug flew off an Alaskan Airlines Boeing 737 Max shortly after takeoff; the National Transportation Safety Board reported this occurred due to four key bolts that were not fitted properly.
Boeing officials said in a statement to CBS News that they are “saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing,” and said their “thoughts are with his family and friends.”
