Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett Found Dead in US

His death comes after giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing, with authorities investigating the circumstances.

John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years until his retirement in 2017.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company. Boeing expressed sadness at Barnett's passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday, stating that the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound" on March 9th, with police investigating the matter.

Barnett had worked for the US plane giant for 32 years, retiring in 2017 due to health reasons. From 2010, he served as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant, manufacturing the 787 Dreamliner, primarily used for long-haul flights.

In 2019, he informed the BBC that workers, under pressure, had been fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line. He also highlighted serious issues with oxygen systems, potentially rendering one in four breathing masks non-functional in emergencies.

His concerns arose from the rush to complete new aircraft, compromising safety, a claim Boeing denied. Barnett also alleged that workers failed to track components properly, leading to defective parts being used, including those retrieved from scrap bins.

He claimed that tests on emergency oxygen systems for the 787 showed a 25% failure rate, which Boeing disputed. Despite alerting managers, he said no action was taken.

In 2017, a review by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), upheld some of Barnett's concerns, finding at least 53 "non-conforming" parts in the factory were lost. Boeing was ordered to address these issues.

Regarding oxygen cylinders, Boeing admitted issues with some bottles received from the supplier but denied fitting any improperly on aircraft.

After retiring, Barnett pursued legal action against Boeing, accusing the company of damaging his reputation and career over his raised issues, which Boeing denied.

At the time of his death, he was in Charleston for legal interviews related to this case, having recently given a deposition and expected further questioning.

Boeing expressed condolences, saying: "We are saddened by Barnett's passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends." His death occurred amidst heightened scrutiny of production standards at Boeing and its key supplier Spirit Aerosystems, following an incident in January involving an emergency exit door on a Boeing 737 Max.

A preliminary report suggested key bolts securing the door were not properly fitted. Last week, the FAA reported multiple instances where Boeing failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements after a six-week audit.