The former Boeing employee, in the days before his death, had testified in a lawsuit against the company
A former Boeing employee who testified about the company’s safety problems in a lawsuit against it has been found dead, according to the BBC.
John Barnett, who had worked at Boeing for 32 years until his retirement in 2017, was found dead in his truck in the parking lot of the hotel where he was staying.
In the days before his death, he had testified in a lawsuit against the company.
Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Barnett’s death.
The Charleston County Coroner who confirmed his death to the BBC on Mondaysaid the 62-year-old died of “self-inflicted injuries” on March 9 and police are investigating.
Barnett, since 2010, has worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant, building the 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art aircraft used primarily on long-haul routes.
In 2019he himself told the BBC that workers were pressured and deliberately installed substandard parts to aircraft on the production line.
Barnett had also revealed serious problems with the oxygen systems, which could mean that one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency.
Barnett had expressed strong concern about the South Carolina plant and the fact that pressure to build new aircraft was leading to hasty assembly at the expense of safety, allegations the company denies.
In fact, he had said that in some cases, substandard parts were even taken from scrap bins and put into planes being built to avoid delays on the production line.
Barnett said he had informed managers of his concerns, but no action had been taken.
Boeing denied his claims. However, a 2017 audit by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), confirmed some of the former employee’s concerns.
Source :Skai
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.