Company whistle-blower found dead in truck
A former Boeing quality manager who criticised the company’s manufacturing processes has been found dead in his truck in South Carolina.
John Barnett, 62, was part of a whistle-blower lawsuit against Boeing when he died from a “selfinflicted” wound on Saturday, with his lawyer expressing doubts about the circumstances of his death.
Mr Barnett had worked for the plane manufacturer for 32 years, until 2017, and made a series of allegations about it in 2019. He had worked at Boeing’s North Charleston plant since 2010, when he took on a job as quality manager in the manufacturing of 787 Dreamliners.
Mr Barnett had said he was
concerned about jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed and the 737 and 787 Dreamliner programmes “removing quality from the process”.
He died on the third day of his deposition in the lawsuit against Boeing, his lawyer said.
Boeing said in a statement: “We are saddened by Mr Barnett’s passing and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s aviation authority said it would seize cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flown by Chile’s Latam Airlines that injured more than 50 people after it “froze” in mid-air on Monday, sending passengers flying inside the cabin.
The incident occurred in international airspace and an inquiry will be carried out by Chile’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission said.
Passengers said the plane fell abruptly in mid-air, leaving some with broken bones and 13 needing admission to hospital.