A former Boeing employee and whistleblower, John Barnett, was discovered dead in his vehicle in South Carolina on March 9, 2024. Barnett was known for his concerns about Boeing’s production quality standards, which he had raised during his 32-year tenure at the company, before retiring in 2017.
Barnett had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing, just days before his death. He had been a quality manager at Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner plant in North Charleston and had expressed concerns about the rushed assembly process and the safety of workers. Barnett claimed that pressured workers would fit sub-standard parts from scrap bins onto new planes to prevent delays on the assembly line.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a review in 2017, which found at least 53 “non-conforming” parts in the factory that could not be accounted for, lending credibility to Barnett’s claims. Boeing was ordered to take remedial action by the FAA.
Barnett had also raised concerns about serious problems with emergency oxygen systems in 2016, where a quarter of the 300 systems tested failed. However, Boeing rebutted this allegation, stating that while it found some defective oxygen systems, they were removed from production and not deployed on any aircraft.
Barnett was due to continue his deposition in a lawsuit against the company, where he had accused Boeing of undermining his career due to the safety concerns he had raised. Barnett’s lawyers found him dead in his vehicle on March 9, after he failed to show up for his third day of deposition.
Boeing has faced intense scrutiny in recent months due to its plane defects. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was commenced after a cabin panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane blew off in midair in January 2024. In a separate incident on March 11, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner apparently abruptly dropped “500 feet” mid-flight, resulting in injuries to 50 people onboard.
Boeing has expressed its sadness over Barnett’s passing and stated that its thoughts are with his family and friends. The Charleston County coroner’s office has stated that Barnett passed away from what appeared to be a “self-inflicted” wound, and police are still investigating the case.