John Barnett, a former Boeing quality manager and whistleblower who voiced concerns about the aircraft manufacturer’s production standards, has died in South Carolina at the age of 62 in what appears to be a case of suicide. Over his more than 30-year tenure at Boeing, Barnett highlighted critical safety issues, notably involving the 787 Dreamliner’s oxygen system, where he discovered some oxygen bottles were not deploying correctly. His allegations extended to Boeing’s South Carolina plant’s failure to follow tracking procedures, resulting in the loss of defective items and the use of sub-standard parts in production. These concerns were supported by a 2017 FAA review, which found 53 ‘non-conforming’ parts unaccounted for.

Barnett also criticized the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which has faced numerous technical emergencies and was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in 346 deaths. The Department of Justice found Boeing guilty of conspiring to defraud the FAA over the 737 MAX’s handling, resulting in Boeing having to pay over $2.5 billion in fines and compensations.

Boeing’s safety practices came under further scrutiny after Barnett raised issues about metal slivers near flight control wiring at the North Charleston plant. Despite reporting his concerns internally and filing a whistleblower complaint, he was reassigned within the plant. His death has cast a shadow over Boeing, which faces ongoing safety challenges, including a recent incident involving a Boeing 787 on a Latam Airlines flight that caused injuries due to a sudden drop.

Boeing has expressed condolences over Barnett’s passing as it continues to navigate the challenges of addressing safety concerns, regulatory scrutiny, and regaining trust within the industry.