John Barnett, a former Boeing quality manager who publicly criticized the company’s production standards, has died at the age of 62 in South Carolina. Known for his whistleblowing on safety issues specifically related to the 787 Dreamliner aircraft at Boeing’s North Charleston plant, Barnett’s death marks the end of a contentious relationship with the aerospace manufacturer. His primary concern was the malfunctioning oxygen systems on the 787 Dreamliner, claiming a significant failure rate in emergency deployment tests. Despite his efforts to rectify these safety issues, Barnett felt obstructed by Boeing.

He also raised alarms over the handling and tracking of defective parts within the plant, leading to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) review in 2017 that confirmed issues with part traceability. Boeing has refuted Barnett’s claims, asserting that any identified issues with oxygen systems were promptly addressed and denying any misconduct related to his retirement.

His passing occurs amid Boeing’s ongoing legal and regulatory troubles, including the scrutiny following the fatal crashes of the 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019. In a separate but related incident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported challenges in investigating a midair emergency involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 on January 5. Critical video evidence was lost, and there has been frustration over Boeing’s cooperation in the inquiry, particularly regarding missing documentation and unclear responsibilities around the removal of a door plug, which led to temporary grounding of the model and further production restrictions by the FAA.

Boeing’s handling of these safety and quality assurance issues continues to draw attention to the regulatory oversight and corporate accountability in the aviation sector, highlighting ongoing concerns even after Barnett’s whistleblower claims.