Boeing whistleblower found dead from self-inflicted injury in the US

Former Boeing employee found with gunshot wound to his head

A former Boeing quality inspector was found dead in his truck in the US last Friday (9 March).

Citing a statement by the Charleston Country Coroner’s Office, Cable News Network (CNN) said 62-year-old John Barnett died from “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

Before his death, Mr Barnett was providing evidence against Boeing in a whistleblower lawsuit.

Mr Barnett was aiding in lawsuit against Boeing

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the deceased spent more than three decades working for Boeing.

After his retirement in 2017,  Mr Barnett decided to whistleblow against the company.

In 2019, Mr Barnett told the BBC that he had discovered serious issues with the company’s plane manufacturing procedures.

He allegedly found problems in Boeing’s manufacturing line

Mr Barnett claimed that “under-pressure workers” at Boeing were “deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line.”

He told BBC that Boeing workers were rushed to build new aircraft. This “compromised” the safety of the assembly process.

Mr Barnett later commissioned a test on 300 brand-new oxygen systems that were due to be fitted on Being 787s.

75 oxygen systems, or one in four,  failed to deploy properly.

He also told The New York Times that he “discovered clusters of metal slivers hanging over the wiring that commands the flight controls.”

He claimed the result of the silver cutting into the wiring could be “catastrophic”.

Concerns were raised with his bosses but no action was taken.

Boeing has also denied Mr Barnett’s allegations.

Found dead after failing to appear for questioning

Mr Barnett was in Charleston to carry on his lawsuit against Boeing.

On 9 March, he failed to show up for his third day of depositions, reported Forbes.

According to CNN, an incident report stated that officers were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a Holiday Inn in Charleston that same morning.

The 62-year-old was subsequently found dead in a truck. He was holding a handgun and had a piece of paper next to him.

His death comes as a shock to family and friends

Mr Barnett’s lawyers told CNN they didn’t see any sign of him taking his own life.

“He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on,” they expressed.

His lawyers are also urging the police to thoroughly investigate his death.

Mr Barnett’s family told CBS News that he hoped the case would “force Boeing to change its culture”.

Boeing also released a statement saying the company was “saddened” by Mr Barnett’s death and that their “thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends”.

Also read: Plane flying to New Zealand plunges mid-flight, 12 people taken to hospital

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted World updates on Facebook and Boeing.