John Barnett, a former Boeing worker who publicly raised questions concerning the plane producer’s security practices and high quality management, has been discovered lifeless in South Carolina.
Officers in Charleston, South Carolina, say Barnett died from what seems to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 9. Police are persevering with to analyze the incident.
Barnett, a 32-year veteran at Boeing, first made headlines in 2019 as one of many a number of whistleblowers who expressed considerations about points at Boeing’s South Carolina plant, which makes the 787 Dreamliner plane. He told the New York Times he had discovered clusters of steel shavings left close to flight management electrical techniques, which may have resulted in “catastrophic” outcomes if these shavings had penetrated the wiring he mentioned.
He retired in 2017, two months after submitting a whistleblower criticism with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA), citing well being causes and saying he had been subjected to retaliation. The BBC stories Barnett was in Charleston for authorized interviews surrounding his authorized motion towards the corporate, alleging Boeing had broken his profession due to the security points he cited.
Boeing has denied these costs and, in an announcement, following his loss of life mentioned “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
The Charleston Police Division didn’t instantly reply to Fortune’s request for remark and the incident report about Barnett’s loss of life, however in an announcement to the Publish & Courier, it mentioned “Detectives are actively investigating this case and are awaiting the formal cause of death, along with any additional findings that might shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Barnett. … We understand the global attention this case has garnered, and it is our priority to ensure that the investigation is not influenced by speculation but is led by facts and evidence.”
Barnett’s loss of life comes as Boeing is underneath elevated scrutiny for its security practices. In January, the emergency exit door blew off a brand new Boeing 737 Max jet whereas in flight. A Nationwide Transportation Security Board preliminary report discovered 4 bolts, designed to carry the door in place, were not fitted on that aircraft. And final week, an FAA audit discovered “multiple instances where the company allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements”.
