John Barnett, a whistleblower who brought attention to serious safety issues at Boeing’s North Charleston plant, has tragically died in an apparent suicide amidst the aerospace giant’s ongoing safety scrutiny.
John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who publicly raised safety concerns about the aerospace company’s North Charleston plant, has died in what appears to be a suicide in South Carolina. Barnett, who worked in quality control, had reported issues such as metal slivers overhanging flight control wiring on Boeing planes. His complaints, first made internally and then brought to the public’s attention in 2019, highlighted potential safety risks.
Barnett’s death occurs as Boeing faces ongoing challenges related to safety. The company has been under intense scrutiny since the fatal crashes of its 737 Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019, which collectively resulted in 346 deaths. More recent concerns have been raised following an incident involving a Boeing 787 jet, where passengers experienced injuries after a sudden drop in altitude.
The National Transportation Safety Board has voiced concerns regarding Boeing’s management systems, pointing to persistent quality assurance issues. Boeing has responded to Barnett’s death and the broader safety concerns by expressing their commitment to cooperating with investigations and addressing safety issues to rebuild trust with regulators, airlines, and the public.
