Published on March 13, 2024, 12:46 am

John Barnett, a former Boeing employee renowned for revealing safety issues linked with the company’s aircraft manufacturing, was found dead earlier this week. A revered whistleblower, Barnett was in Charleston, South Carolina for a deposition pertinent to a lawsuit lodged against Boeing. This lawsuit suggested that Boeing reprised negatively after Barnett vocalized his concerns regarding safety in 2017 under the AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Program.

The local police department received a call on Saturday morning prompting them to perform a wellness check at a Holiday Inn hotel where they discovered Mr. Barnett, 62 years old, seated inside an automobile with what they termed as “a gunshot wound to the head.”

The initial estimation by police indicates Mr. Barnett’s gunshot wound seems “self-inflicted,” however, researchers and the county coroner remain involved in ongoing investigations to ascertain an official cause of death. The department appreciates people’s global interest in this case and has communicated its dedication to carrying out an exploration empowered by facts rather than conjecture. Given the sensitive nature of the situation, all current information remains confidential to preserve the investigation’s integrity; final disclosure is set to occur upon completion of their active inquiry.

Boeing responded formally regarding Mr. Barnett’s sudden passing saying: “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Barnett raised several concerns during his time with Boeing—most notably about metal shards left suspended above wires controlling flight within airplanes produced at its South Carolina factory—a revelation reported by The New York Times in 2019. He cautioned that any penetration of these wires by metal shards could lead to catastrophic outcomes.

“As a quality manager at Boeing,” asserted Mr. John Barnett – ensuring no fault goes unnoticed before it reaches flying public forms your primary duty, “and I haven’t spotted yet an airplane from Charleston that I would confirm as secure and airworthy.”

Furthermore, he discovered possible issues with oxygen systems installed in the planes, revealing that some oxygen masks might fail to activate during emergencies. As we disseminate this real news, one fact remains evident: Barnett spent his career dedicated to a commitment to safety and a passion for protecting passengers around the globe. His sudden passing deeply impacts not only those close to him but also the larger community who relied on his trusted news from within the aviation industry through his unique Christian worldview.