13 March 2024 – Authorities in South Carolina discovered the body of a former Boeing employee who had voiced worries about the company’s manufacturing problems. The person seemed to have committed himself. The South Carolina office of the Charleston County coroner’s announced on Tuesday that John Barnett, 62, had self-inflicted gunshot wounds and passed away. The BBC has covered Barnett’s attempts to bring attention to the business’s manufacturing problems. Boeing had employed Barnett for 32 years before he left the company in 2017. Attorneys Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles said that Barnett was in the midst of a deposition in an ongoing whistleblower retaliation action against Boeing.
He seemed to be in a really positive frame of mind and was eager to move beyond this stage of his life. There was no sign that he might commit suicide. It’s unbelievable, everyone said. Barnett worked for Boeing as a quality manager. According to his lawyers, he “exposed very serious safety problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and was subjected to a hostile work environment and retaliation.” Boeing said in a statement, “Mr. Barnett’s passing saddens us, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Conclusion
After a panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 burst off in midair on January 5, exposing passengers to the outside air and necessitating an emergency landing, Barnett talked with media outlets. Since then, Boeing has faced a serious dilemma with its quality and safety standards.
