Boeing Whistleblower Discovered Dead Days After Court Testimony
John Barnett, a former Boeing staffer who had previously raised concerns about the aviation giant’s production standards, has been found dead in the United States.
The 62-year-old, who retired seven years ago after a 32-year career with Boeing, was found in his truck at a hotel parking lot in South Carolina, just days after testifying in a lawsuit against the company, The Daily Mail reports.
Charleston law enforcement officials revealed that Barnett, the ex-quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant, succumbed to a “self-inflicted” wound. Investigations are still ongoing.
Barnett’s demise occurred amid a break in depositions related to a whistleblower retaliation suit where he accused pressured workers of intentionally fitting sub-standard parts onto aircraft assembly lines.
Barnett asserted that some of these sub-par components were taken directly from scrap bins to avoid production delays. In 2017, the FAA reviewed his concerns, prompting Boeing to take corrective action.
His attorney, Brian Knowles, reported that Barnett had recently given a deposition to Boeing’s lawyers for the ongoing case. Knowles stated, “John had been back and forth for quite some time getting prepared. The defense examined him for their allowed seven hours under the rules on Thursday.”
Barnett’s concerns about production standards gained prominence due to his experience at Boeing, particularly after he was transferred to the Charleston, SC plant where the 787 Dreamliner was manufactured.
In 2019, Barnett spoke to the BBC, alleging that workers were intentionally fitting sub-standard parts, and he discovered issues with emergency oxygen systems that could compromise their functionality in emergencies. He claimed that the assembly process was rushed, an accusation Boeing vehemently denied.
Brian Knowles detailed the circumstances leading up to Barnett’s death on Saturday, stating, “I cross-examined him all day yesterday (Friday) and did not finish.”
“We agreed to continue this morning at 10 a.m. (co-counsel) Rob (Turkewitz) kept calling this morning and his (Barnett’s) phone would go to voicemail,” Knowles continued. “We then asked the hotel to check on him. They found him in his truck dead from an ‘alleged’ self-inflicted gunshot. We drove to the hotel and spoke with the police and the coroner.”
Barnett had also been speaking to reporters about an incident involving the mid-air blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, resulting in airplane decompression. He told ABC News in Australia in late January, “once you understand what’s happening inside of Boeing, you’ll see why we’re seeing these kinds of issues.”
As news of Barnett’s death spread, Boeing responded in a statement expressing being “saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing.”
The statement, however, did not address any aspects of the ongoing case, concluding with, “Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
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