Boeing Whistleblower, Found Dead, One Week After Testifying.
BBC reports that a former Boeing employee exposing
concerns regarding the aircraft manufacturer's production
standards has been found dead in the United States.
In the days before John Barnett's death, the former
Boeing employee had been giving evidence in
a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.
In 2017, Barnett retired from Boeing
after working for the company for 32 years.
Following news of his death,
Boeing said in a statement that it was
saddened to hear of Mr Barnett's passing.
According to the Charleston County
coroner, the 62-year-old died from
a "self-inflicted" wound on March 9. .
The coroner reportedly added that
police are still investigating the death.
In 2019, Barnett told BBC a list of safety
concerns from his time working at Boeing.
Those concerns included under-pressure workers using
sub-standard parts in aircraft production lines, as well as
serious problems with emergency oxygen systems.
BBC reports that Barnett's death comes as both Boeing
and its key supplier Spirit Aerosystems are under
intense scrutiny following a string of recent incidents. .
In January, Boeing's entire 737 MAX fleet was grounded
after an unused emergency exit door blew off shortly
after takeoff from Portland International Airport.
A six-week FAA audit of the company revealed , "multiple instances where the
company allegedly failed to comply with
manufacturing quality control requirements."
