John Barnett, a former employee of Boeing Co. who was well-known for voicing concerns about manufacturing standards, was discovered dead on Monday outside a hotel in South Carolina in the midst of a legal dispute with the airline giant.
Before retiring in 2017, Barnett, now 62, spent 32 years working at Boeing. During that time, she was a witness in a whistleblower case against the business.
In addition, he managed quality at the North Charleston factory that produced the 787 Dreamliner, an airplane mostly operated on long-haul flights.
After learning of Barnett’s untimely demise, Boeing released a statement expressing its sadness.
The whistleblower passed away on Saturday from a “self-inflicted” wound, according to the Charleston County coroner, who also stated that the police were looking into the matter.
What did John Barnett reveal?
Barnett expressed worry about the pressure placed on laborers in the 787 airplane manufacturing frame to employ inferior components from scrap bins even when statistical testing shown them to be ineffective.
Furthermore, he said that he had discovered significant issues with oxygen systems, perhaps leading to the failure of one in four breathing masks in an emergency.
Barnett was worried that the aircraft would be risky and hurried due to its hurried building method.
After conducting a study in 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) verified Barnett’s worries by discovering at least 53 components in unknown placements.
Furthermore, Barnett found that 25% of 787 emergency oxygen systems malfunctioned, which may have made it harder for pilots to achieve normoxia, or normal oxygen levels.
Boeing subsequently acknowledged that it had received certain oxygen bottles “from the supplier that have not performed the function properly”. The business did, however, guarantee that none were fitted on any aircraft.
What happened next?
Following his retirement, Barnett sued Boeing for defamation, claiming that the company had ruined his reputation and career by exposing wrongdoing.
Barnett gave a formal deposition last week, during which he was questioned by Boeing’s attorneys and then cross-examined by his own counsel. Barnett had been in Charleston for legal interviews related to that matter.
His death in his pickup in the parking lot of his hotel was discovered after inquiries at his hotel on his disappearance during more questioning on Saturday.
His passing coincides with heightened scrutiny of Boeing’s and its primary supplier Spirit AeroSystems’ quality standards following an incident in January in which an emergency escape door on a Boeing 737 Max blew off the aircraft soon after takeoff from Portland International Airport.
It was discovered by the US National Transportation Safety Board that four crucial bolts, which firmly fasten the door, were vanished.
The FAA announced last week that it had discovered “multiple instances where the company allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements” after a six-week assessment of the business.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.