Charleston — John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who had reportedly raised concerns about the company’s production issues, was found dead of an apparent suicide, according to authorities in South Carolina.
Barnett had worked at Boeing for 32 years before leaving the company in 2017, according to the BBC, which previously reported on his efforts to raise issues about the company’s production issues.
The 62-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Charleston County coroner’s office in South Carolina confirmed on Tuesday. The Charleston City police are investigating, the coroner’s office said, without giving any other details.
Boeing, in a statement, said: “We are saddened by Mr Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Barnett’s attorney, Brian Knowles, did not respond to requests for comment. He told the publication Corporate Crime Reporter that Barnett had been in the middle of a deposition in a whistle-blower lawsuit in Charleston related to production of the 787 Dreamliner plane.
Barnett had spoken to media outlets after the January 5 incident on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane, when a panel blew out while the flight was in midair, requiring an emergency landing.
Boeing has since had to reckon with a full-blown crisis around its safety and quality standards. Its production has been curbed by US regulators, leading to delivery delays across the aerospace industry.
Reuters