Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead from apparent suicide

Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead from an apparent suicide in Charleston on. Barnett was in the process of testifying in an aviation case where he'd been given whistleblower protections.

According to Barnett's lawyer Brian Knowles, who spoke to Corporate Crime Reporter, "John had been back and forth for quite some time getting prepared. The defense examined him for their allowed seven hours under the rules on Thursday."

Barnett had been a quality manager at Boeing for 32 years. Boeing has been plagued with safety issues in the past few months. It was after Barnett was transferred to the Charleston, SC plant, where the 787 Dreamliner was built, that he began to have concerns.

In 2019, he spoke to the BBC to say that workers had been deliberately fitting parts that were sub-standard and that he uncovered problems with the emergency oxygen systems that could result in the failure of those systems in case of emergency. The assembly process, he alleged, was rushed. Boeing denied the charges.

"I cross examined him all day yesterday (Friday) and did not finish," Knowles said. "We agreed to continue this morning at 10 a.m. (co-counsel) Rob (Turkewitz) kept calling this morning and his (Barnett’s) phone would go to voicemail. We then asked the hotel to check on him. They found him in his truck dead from an ‘alleged’ self-inflicted gunshot. We drove to the hotel and spoke with the police and the coroner."

Barnett was 62 years old.

Last week, a Boeing 777 lost a tire after it took off from San Francisco bound for Tokyo. It was diverted to LA for an emergency landing. Earlier this year, a mid-air panel blow-out was the result of missing bolts.