Boeing whistleblower who raised concerns on company’s production found dead

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A retired Boeing employee, John Barnett, who had expressed concerns about quality control and safety in the company's aircraft production, was discovered deceased this week in South Carolina, as confirmed by local authorities.

Barnett, 62, had served as a quality manager at Boeing before retiring in 2017 following many years of dedicated work.

The Charleston County coroner's office reported that he passed away on March 9, with initial signs pointing to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Charleston City Police Department is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

“We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing said in a statement.

In a 2019 article by The New York Times, Barnett was identified as one of the whistleblowers who brought attention to quality concerns at Boeing's South Carolina facility, where the 787 Dreamliner aircraft is manufactured.

Barnett uncovered clusters of metal shavings near crucial flight control electrical systems, warning that if these shavings were to interfere with the wiring, it could have potentially disastrous consequences.

Barnett expressed that he brought up his concerns to his supervisors multiple times, only to be overlooked, and subsequently moved to a different section of the plant.

Following this, Barnett made a formal report as a whistleblower to the FAA.

The FAA took action in 2017 by issuing a directive mandating that all 787s must undergo a thorough clean-up process to remove shavings before they can be delivered, as reported.

A spokesperson from Boeing informed the New York Times that safety concerns are promptly looked into, and adjustments are implemented as needed.

In a subsequent interview with the BBC in 2019, Barnett mentioned discovering issues related to the aircraft's oxygen systems.

This could potentially result in some breathing masks being ineffective during emergencies.

He also pointed out that employees, feeling the strain to meet production goals, had installed lower-quality components on the planes. Boeing refuted these claims.

Boeing faces new scrutiny following an incident where a door plug blew out during a flight on an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 Max 9 in January.

Loose bolts were identified as the cause of the blowout, prompting the FAA to issue a directive to ground all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft with similar door plugs.

The FAA concluded its six-week audit, finding several instances of noncompliance in Boeing's manufacturing processes and parts handling. As a result, the agency has suspended the production expansion of Boeing 737 Max aircraft and has mandated a 90-day timeline for the company to address and rectify the identified issues.

This recent development follows the grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets in 2019 after two fatal crashes that claimed the lives of 346 individuals. The crashes were attributed to software malfunctions that caused the planes' noses to be forced down uncontrollably, leading to tragic accidents.