- Whistleblower found dead; suicide suspected
- Barnett testified against Boeing, faced retaliation
- Urged investigation, feared Boeing’s impact on health
The Boeing employee-turned-whistleblower whose body was discovered by apparent suicide has been lauded by his solicitors as “a courageous, honourable man of the utmost integrity.”
A self-inflicted wound appears to have been the cause of death for John Barnett, whom authorities are presently investigating.
2017, Mr. Barnett retired from Boeing after more than three decades of service. Before his passing, he was providing testimony in litigation against the company.
Two of his lawyers requested that the authorities conduct a thorough investigation into his death.
“John was amid a deposition in his whistleblower retaliation case, which was nearing its conclusion,” said a joint statement by Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles.
“He was in excellent spirits and eagerly anticipated moving on with his life and putting this phase behind him.” We did not observe any signs that he intended to commit suicide. It is beyond belief at this point.”
They urged Charleston, South Carolina officials to provide additional information regarding the incident, stating, “No detail can be overlooked.”
Mr Barnett was someone who “deeply cared” about his family, his colleagues, and Boeing, from its pilots to its customers, according to Mr Turkewitz and Mr Knowles.
BeforeBefore his health-related retirement in 2010, Mr. Barnett was a quality manager at the North Charleston facility that manufactured the 787 Dreamliner, an advanced aircraft primarily utilised for long-distance travel.
During that tenure, he discovered and disclosed critical safety issues about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. According to his attorneys, he faced retaliation and was subjected to a hostile work environment.
Following his retirement, he initiated an extensive legal dispute against the organisation.
The company refuted the accusations that he levelled against Boeing for demeaning his reputation and impeding his professional progress on account of the concerns he raised.
Mr Barnett was in Charleston for legal interviews related to the case at the time of his death. Last week, he provided a formal deposition during which Boeing’s attorneys questioned him before his counsel cross-examined him.
His scheduled date for additional interrogation was Saturday. At his hotel, inquiries were lodged when he failed to appear.
His remains were subsequently discovered in his vehicle parked in the hotel’s lotus.
His sibling informed US media that Mr. Barnett’s health had deteriorated, and he had developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of confronting his longtime employer.
Rodney Barnett stated, “We believe that his demise was precipitated by the hostile work environment he endured at Boeing, which caused him to develop PTSD and anxiety attacks.”
Mr Barnett stated that his brother “anticipated his court date with great enthusiasm and hoped that it would compel Boeing to alter its corporate culture.”
The quality manager gained notoriety for voicing apprehensions regarding the production standards of the American aircraft behemoth, claiming that employees operating under duress had intentionally assembled aircraft with inferior components while on the assembly line. Later, he disclosed that employees had disregarded procedures designed to monitor components throughout the factory, thereby permitting defective components to vanish.
Additionally, he disclosed that he had discovered critical issues with oxygen systems, which could render one in every four breathing devices inoperable during an emergency.
He claimed that as soon as he began working in South Carolina, he became concerned that the assembly process was hurried. Safety was compromised when completing the new aircraft, a claim the company denied.
Mr Barnett stated that they had taken no action despite informing managers of his concerns.
Boeing refuted his claims. However, a portion of Mr Barnett’s concerns were validated in a 2017 assessment by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a regulator in the United States.
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The investigation determined that a minimum of 53 “non-conforming” components were misplaced within the factory, and their whereabouts were unknown.
The company stated that it “identified some oxygen bottles received from the supplier in 2017 that were not deploying properly” about the oxygen cylinder issue. However, it denied that any of those items were installed on the aircraft.
Mr Barnett’s Mrise coincides with heightened scrutiny over Boeing’s production standards and its primary supplier, Spirit AeroSystems.
The FAA AeroSystemsast week that a six-week audit of the organisation had purportedly uncovered numerous instances in which it neglected to adhere to manufacturing quality control regulations.
