He was concerned about safety: the Boeing whistleblower died mysteriously shortly before testifying

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John Barnett (†62) worked for 32 years as an engineer at Boeing, the second largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. In 2019, the American went public. The reason: he had safety concerns.

The whistleblowing process took place in March this year. On March 5, Barnett testified in court against his former employer. Then he went to the hotel. A second deposition against Boeing was scheduled a few days later. But the driver didn’t show up.

Lawyer doubts cause of death

Barnett’s attorney, Brian Knowles, then called his client’s cell phone, but only got his voicemail. “We then asked the hotel to take a look at him,” said the lawyer. “They found him dead in his truck.”

The coroner said the 62-year-old died of an “apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.” The lawyer does not believe this finding, because John has been preparing for this day for a long time.

Barnett worked in quality control at Boeing. There he observed, according to his own statements, how 787 Dreamliner aircraft were manufactured in haste – at the expense of quality. The oxygen systems, among other things, were defective. The engineer was certain: in an emergency, only three of the four breathing masks would work.

Boeing: “We are sad”

Since Barnett’s first warning in 2019, quality defects have regularly come to light at Boeing. Only on Monday did a Boeing 787 Dreamliner experience severe turbulence due to a technical error. Several people were injured and had to be taken to hospital.

Boeing has released a statement following the death of John Barnett. It said: “We are saddened by the passing of Mr Barnett and our thoughts are with his family and friends.” (obf)

Source: Blick