John Barnett, a former Boeing Co employee and whistleblower, was found dead outside a South Carolina hotel. The BBC reported his death amid a legal battle with Boeing.
Barnett, who was 62 in 2017, retired after 32 years with Boeing. He was involved in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company. As a quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant, he worked on the 787 Dreamliner.
Boeing expressed sadness over Barnett’s sudden death. The Charleston County coroner cited a “self-inflicted” wound as the cause, with police investigations ongoing.
Barnett exposed the use of substandard parts in 787 production and highlighted flaws in emergency oxygen systems. The FAA’s 2017 review supported Barnett’s safety concerns, identifying misplaced parts. Boeing acknowledged that some oxygen bottles had failed but had not been installed on planes. Post-retirement, Barnett sued Boeing for defamation, claiming harm to his reputation.
He was in Charleston for legal matters related to the lawsuit when he was found dead.
His death intensifies scrutiny of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems’ production standards. This follows a recent incident where a Boeing 737 Max lost an emergency door, attributed to missing bolts.
