A retired employee of aircraft manufacturer Boeing, who had drawn attention to worrying production standards, has now been found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot. A few days ago, whistleblower John Barnett testified in a lawsuit against the American company.
Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, seven of which he oversaw the production quality of the plane maker’s 787 Dreamliner. A few years after his retirement for health reasons, he revealed that some of the employees were under great pressure – and that as a result parts had been installed in Boeing aircraft that did not meet standards.
In some cases, inferior parts were even fished from scrap containers to be installed on aircraft – this was intended to avoid production delays. He informed his bosses of these grievances, but they took no action.
Allegation: One of the four oxygen masks is defective
His criticism of the oxygen system was also shocking: in an emergency, one of the four breathing masks would not work, Barnett explains. The company denied the allegations, but after an investigation, the US Federal Aviation Administration found that some of the criticism was true.
The whistleblower also took action against Boeing for personal reasons. The company is accused of belittling him and hindering his career. That is also disputed; the case recently went to trial and Barnett was questioned about it at a trial just days before his death.
Died of a ‘self-inflicted wound’.
There was another hearing on Saturday, but the 62-year-old did not appear in court. When a search began for Barnett at his hotel, his body was found in his car in the parking lot. The BBC reported that he died of a “self-inflicted wound.”
Boeing released a statement after Barnett’s death: “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Source: Krone
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