Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in US
Prominent Boeing whistle-blower a former quality manager who raised concerns about manufacturing practices at the company's 787 Dreamliner dies aged 60.
Theo Leggett, Business correspondent, BBC News
March 12 2024 1130 PM EDT Originally published March 12 2024 645 AM EDT
In this photo taken with a fish-eye lens, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane sits on the assembly line during a brief media tour in Boeing's 737 plant in Renton, Washington, US, on March 25, 2019.
John Barnett, a former quality manager at Boeing who raised concerns about manufacturing practices at the company's 787 Dreamliner, has been found dead at the age of 60.
Barnett's death comes after he claimed to have suffered a "campaign of retaliation" from Boeing after reporting his concerns to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2019.
Boeing said it was "deeply saddened by the passing of John Barnett" and offered its condolences to his family and friends.
The company said it was "committed to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for all of our employees" and that it had "conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations raised by Mr. Barnett and found no evidence of retaliation."
However, Barnett's family and friends have disputed Boeing's account, saying that he was subjected to a "hostile work environment" after raising his concerns.
Barnett's death has raised concerns about the treatment of whistleblowers in the aviation industry.
Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems who had flagged safety concerns with the 737 Max, said that Barnett's death was a "tragedy" and that it showed that "whistleblowers are not protected in the aviation industry."
"John Barnett was a hero," Dean said. "He spoke out about serious safety concerns and he paid the ultimate price."
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