Boeing whistleblower found dead (5 photos)

John Barnett, 62, failed to appear for the second part of his testimony in a high-profile lawsuit against the corporation. He was found dead in his car in a hotel parking lot in South Carolina.





The man gave his first testimony against Boeing a few days before the alleged suicide. The Charleston County Coroner confirmed the death was the result of a gunshot wound. Barnett's lawyer, Brian Knowles, said the circumstances surrounding the death raise many questions.

"Today is a tragic day," Knowles said. "John has been preparing for quite some time. On Thursday, the defense questioned him for the required seven hours."



The lawyer said he and a colleague called Barnett on Saturday, but the call went to voicemail.

"We then asked the hotel staff to check on him. They found John in the car, dead from a 'suspected' self-inflicted gunshot. We went to the hotel and spoke to the police and the coroner."





Boeing said: "We are saddened by Barnett's passing and our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Barnett worked for the company for more than three decades before retiring in 2017.

He was a quality control engineer. In 2019, an American told the BBC that Boeing had compromised safety by rushing its 787 Dreamliner planes off the production line.



In recent months, the aviation giant has faced scrutiny due to increasing problems with its aircraft. So, in January, the emergency exit hatch on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 came off during a flight.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found quality control problems during its inspection of Boeing and component supplier Spirit AeroSystems.

According to The New York Times, Boeing failed 33 of 89 inspections, and Spirit AeroSystems failed 7 of 13.

Many of the problems found violate “approved manufacturing processes, procedures or instructions.”



FAA auditors also found that mechanics used a hotel key card to test door seals and also applied liquid soap "as a lubricant during the installation process."

The company has 90 days to develop a comprehensive action plan to address "systemic quality control issues."