Boeing Whistleblower Found Dead
Death follows high-profile corruption, whistleblower allegations
Aviation worker John Barnett died March 9 while giving depositions in a whistleblower case against Boeing
John Barnett, an aviation worker who went public with safety concerns and alleged retaliation by Boeing, has died. Barnett had been in Charleston, South Carolina, giving testimony in his whistleblower case against the embattled aerospace company when he was found dead on March 9.
Barnett's death comes amid a high-profile corruption scandal at Boeing, which has been accused of misleading regulators and the public about the safety of its 737 MAX aircraft. Two 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people, and the aircraft was grounded for nearly two years as Boeing worked to fix the design flaws that caused the crashes.
Barnett worked as a quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, a key Boeing supplier. He alleged that Boeing had pressured Spirit AeroSystems to cut corners on safety in order to meet production targets. Barnett also claimed that he was retaliated against by Spirit AeroSystems after he raised his concerns.
In 2020, Barnett filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing, alleging that the company had violated the False Claims Act by knowingly selling defective aircraft to the government. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Barnett's death has raised questions about the safety of Boeing's aircraft and the company's culture of retaliation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating Barnett's death, and the FBI is also looking into the matter.
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