Who is John Barnett? Mystery as Boeing Whistleblower Found Dead

A former Boeing employee who raised concerns over the company's production standards has been found dead.

John Barnett, 62, retired from Boeing after working with the aircraft firm for several decades. He died on March 9, as per the Charleston County Coroner, based in South Carolina.

Context

Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years until his retirement in 2017 having worked at the Boeing factory in South Carolina as a quality manager.

In 2019, he made allegations against the company after safety concerns he raised with managers about cutting corners and using sub-standard parts to build planes were allegedly ignored. Boeing has denied Barnett's claims.

What We Know

Barnett was found dead from a "self-inflicted" gunshot wound, the coroner's office told the BBC. Police are still investigating the death.

Barnett had been giving evidence in a long-running legal case against Boeing at the time of his death.

He claimed that employees at its South Carolina plant frequently fitted substandard parts on planes and also says he reported faulty oxygen systems that could result in oxygen masks not working properly. Barnett said he knew of at least one case at the factory where workers used parts from scrap bins and fitted them into planes.

"I haven't seen a plane out of Charleston yet that I'd put my name on saying it's safe and airworthy," Barnett told The New York Times in 2019. He had accused Boeing of denigrating his character and hampering his career, claims which Boeing have denied.

Views

"We are saddened by Mr. Barnett's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends," Boeing told Newsweek.

What's Next?

It's unclear at this time what will happen regarding the legal case Barnett brought against Boeing. He was expected to attend at a court hearing relating to the case to provide testimony.

His death comes at a time when Boeing is under increased scrutiny following a series of safety issues on board its aircraft. Last week, a Boeing 777 jetliner flying to Japan was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from San Francisco when a wheel fell off and dropped into an airport parking lot.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 suffered a door blowout shortly after take off while flying at 16,000 feet in January. There were also two fatal crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.