John Barnett (†62) worked as an engineer at Boeing, the second largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, for 32 years. In 2019, the American went public. The reason: He had safety concerns.
The whistleblower trial took place in March of this year. On March 5, Barnett testified in court against his former employer. Then he went to the hotel. A few days later, a second witness statement against Boeing was planned. But the engineer didn't show up.
Lawyer doubts cause of death
Barnett's lawyer, Brian Knowles, then called his client's cell phone, but only got his voicemail. “We then asked the hotel to check on him,” said the lawyer. “They found him dead in his truck.”
According to the coroner, the 62-year-old died of an “apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.” The lawyer doesn't believe this finding because John has been preparing for this day for a long time.
Barnett worked in quality control at Boeing. There, according to his own statements, he observed how 787 Dreamliner aircraft were being manufactured in a hurry - at the expense of quality. Among other things, the oxygen systems were faulty. The engineer was certain: in an emergency, only three out of four breathing masks would work.
Boeing: “We are sad”
Since Barnett's first warning in 2019, quality defects have regularly emerged at Boeing. It was only on Monday that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner experienced severe turbulence due to a technical error. There were several injured people who then had to be taken to hospital.
Boeing 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)
