On Saturday, John Barnett, a former employee of Boeing who became a whistleblower, was discovered dead in his truck near Charleston. After a stellar 32-year career at Boeing, the 62-year-old retired in 2017, but since then, he has made a point of criticizing the corporation for claimed safety lapses and misconduct. Only a few days before he was supposed to appear for additional legal interviews related to a lawsuit he was involved in against the aerospace giant, he passed away.
Barnett leveled serious charges against Boeing. He accused the firm of having defective oxygen systems, with a startling one in four breathing masks possibly failing in an emergency, and of purposefully installing subpar equipment in their planes. His interview revealed severe flaws in Boeing’s quality control and safety procedures, particularly with relation to the assembly and inspection procedures for the 737 and 787 aircraft models.
In a chilling turn of events, Barnett was discovered dead from a wound that authorities characterize as “self-inflicted,” which sparked conjecture and raised concerns about the circumstances and timing of his demise. Barnett had been involved in the continuing litigation against Boeing, supplying evidence, and expressing his worries in an appearance with TMZ, only days prior to this sad tragedy.
Barnett described systemic problems at Boeing in his most recent interview, emphasizing that the concerns extended beyond the 737 model and showed a larger, corporate disdain for quality and safety. “First off, this is a Boeing issue—not a 737 issue,” Barnett declared. “My concern stems from the fact that Boeing began eliminating inspection operations from their jobs back in 2012.” Thus, the mechanics were forced to pay for their own labor.
Barnett also made accusations about Boeing’s supplier ties, citing a visit to Spirit Aerosystems that turned up 300 flaws in one area of the aircraft. However, a senior management informed him that they had found too many problems after he reported these flaws, indicating a concerning trend toward downplaying the existence of quality difficulties rather than confronting them head-on.
Barnett worked for many years in the Boeing assembly plant for the 787 Dreamliner, a plane that has made headlines recently. This Monday, a major incident aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner traveling from Australia to New Zealand resulted in over fifty passengers needing medical assistance from first responders. A technological malfunction caused the airplane to shake violently, shaking people in their seats.
Boeing has already encountered a number of difficulties with its aircraft types, most notably with the 737 MAX and the 787 Dreamliner. These problems have included everything from software glitches to manufacturing flaws, and they have prompted investigation by aviation authorities, temporary groundings, and a review of parts of its engineering and production procedures.
For the 787 Dreamliner, there have been concerns over the years related to its batteries catching fire, issues with the fuselage and wings, and problems with its Rolls-Royce engines. These issues have led to investigations and temporary groundings to address and rectify the safety and operational concerns.
The 737 MAX faced even more significant challenges following two fatal crashes in October 2018 and March 2019, which were linked to a flawed flight control system known as MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System). The global fleet was grounded for nearly two years while Boeing worked on fixes to the software and pilot training procedures. This situation has had a substantial impact on Boeing’s reputation, financial standing, and scrutiny over its design and certification processes.
