Boeing whistleblower found dead in apparent suicide

A former Boeing quality manager turned whistleblower who had highlighted safety concerns was found dead ahead of a scheduled deposition in a legal dispute with the airplane manufacturer in South Carolina.

John Barnett did not attend the planned deposition on Saturday, and after unsuccessful attempts to reach him, his legal team asked his hotel to check on him. He was found lifeless in his truck in the hotel parking lot.

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office stated that his death appeared to stem from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an incident still under investigation by the Charleston Police Department.

Brian Knowles, Mr. Barnett’s attorney, called the situation “tragic” while speaking to the Corporate Crime Reporter. According to Mr. Knowles, Mr. Barnett was deeply involved in preparations for the third day of his deposition related to his AIR21 whistleblower case against Boeing, a company already facing intense scrutiny over safety.

The Louisiana-based Mr. Barnett had traveled to South Carolina to give evidence connected to a defamation lawsuit against Boeing. The lawsuit alleged the company had maliciously undermined his career and reputation after he accused it of significant safety violations.

Boeing acknowledged the loss with a somber statement to Time, expressing sadness and extending thoughts to Mr. Barnett’s loved ones. “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing said.

A recent incident involving an emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, following the blowout of an emergency exit door, has led to a $1 billion lawsuit from passengers citing psychological distress. Promptly after the event, Alaska Airlines grounded its Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet, but reintroduced them to service within weeks.

Mr. Barnett, commenting on this incident to TMZ, pointed out systemic problems, claiming that Boeing had been scaling back inspection operations since 2012.

“This is not a 737 problem, this is a Boeing problem,” he said. “What we’re seeing with the door plug blowout is what I’ve seen with the rest of the airplane as far as jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed, issues being ignored.”