This year has seen a series of accidents involving Boeing aircraft, putting the aircraft manufacturer in the spotlight. The sudden death of the whistleblower who exposed safety issues at Boeing has sparked global attention.
On March 9th, John Barnett, a former senior Boeing employee who had repeatedly disclosed manufacturing issues with Boeing passenger jets, was found dead in his truck parked at a hotel.
The coroner's office in South Carolina, USA confirmed Barnett's death as an apparent "self-inflicted" act, but further details are still under investigation by the authorities.
Barnett had worked for Boeing for over 30 years until his retirement in 2017 due to health reasons, and Boeing expressed condolences upon hearing the news of his passing.
However, according to the latest reports, a close friend of Barnett revealed that Barnett had foreseen the possibility of something happening to him and told his friend not to believe it if there were reports of his suicide.
Barnett's lawyer, Brian Norris, stated that Barnett had exposed serious safety issues with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and faced retaliation. In the period leading up to his death, Barnett had been providing evidence for lawsuits against Boeing.
In 2019, Barnett blew the whistle on Boeing for knowingly installing defective parts on aircraft. He stated that tests indicated that up to a quarter of the oxygen systems could be faulty, potentially rendering oxygen masks unusable in emergencies.
Norris emphasized that Barnett was in good mental health and there was no indication that he would commit suicide. "Nobody would believe that," Norris added.
Barnett's friend, Jennifer, disclosed, "I know Barnett didn't commit suicide, it's impossible. He loved life too much, he loved his family too much, he loved his brothers too much to put them through what's happening now."
Jennifer revealed that Barnett had been threatened before for speaking out and guessed that it was representatives of Boeing who didn't like what he was saying.
Despite retiring, Barnett had continued to report safety issues at Boeing, engaging in a long-term legal battle with the company. Jennifer believes this is why they made it look like suicide, and she last saw Barnett at the end of February.
