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A former Boeing manager who raised concerns about the aircraft maker’s quality standards was found dead in South Carolina on Saturday.
John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in a Charleston hotel parking lot, just days after he began filing formal affidavits in his lawsuit against Boeing. The BBC first reported.
The Charleston County Coroner’s Office said in a statement that Barnett died of “apparently self-inflicted” wounds. The Hill.
“We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Barnett and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing told Business Insider in a statement.
Police are investigating Barnett’s death. He worked for Boeing for about 32 years before retiring in 2017, including a stint as a quality manager at the 787 Dreamliner manufacturing plant in North Charleston.
In the post, Barnett said he had observed worrying signs of deviations from Boeing’s standards and said the manufacturer was rushing to assemble the plane.
“I have yet to see enough planes out of Charleston to call it safe and flyable,” Barnett said. new york times In 2019.
That year he told the BBC In 2016, it tested 300 oxygen systems and found that a quarter of them failed to deploy. Barnett also claimed to be aware of at least one incident in the factory where workers used parts from scrap bins to install planes on the production line.
Barnett in January told TMZ In the percentage of cases where inspectors were given only two hours to discover defects in a supplier’s product, their ability to conduct a proper inspection was significantly hampered.
Boeing denies Barnett’s claims. said As Barnett reported, several defective oxygen systems were found, but they were removed from production and never deployed on any aircraft.
According to the BBC, the Federal Aviation Administration visited the Charleston facility and found more than 50 “nonconforming” parts missing, contradicting Barnett’s claims that parts from scrap bins were being used. It seems to have added credibility.
Barnett was scheduled to continue his deposition, his lawyer says.
Barnett had filed an AIR 21 lawsuit against Boeing, alleging that his career was harmed by raising safety concerns at the Charleston plant. AIR21 This law protects whistleblowers regarding airline safety.
Barnett’s attorney, Brian Knowles, said the former Boeing manager was scheduled to appear for the third day of depositions on Friday, according to the newspaper. Corporate crime reporter.
He was questioned by Boeing’s lawyers on Thursday and cross-examined by Mr. Knowles on Friday, but he did not appear on Saturday or respond to phone calls, Mr. Knowles said.
Barnett’s attorney asked the hotel to check on the whistleblower, and Barnett was found dead in his car, Knowles told Corporate Crime Reporter. The BBC reported similar details about Barnett’s death.
Knowles did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside normal business hours.
Boeing has come under intense scrutiny in recent months over safety concerns about its 737 Max planes, after a door plug was blown off the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
of new york times reported on Monday that Boeing recently failed 33 of 89 FAA product audits of its 737 Max production, citing a series of presentation slides.
On Monday, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Latam Airlines suddenly fell due to a technical problem, injuring at least 50 passengers. The 787 is an aircraft developed by Barnett at its North Charleston facility.