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Washington: John Barnett, a former Boeing employee turned whistleblower, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his truck outside a Charleston hotel. Barnett, 62, a key witness in a high-profile lawsuit against Boeing, died as testimony in the case entered its third day.
Barnett’s involvement in the lawsuit arose from his allegations related to safety and production issues at Boeing, specifically the Charleston, South Carolina plant. After working with Boeing for nearly three decades, his transfer to Charleston in 2010 marked the beginning of his concerns about the company’s practices.
Barnett’s claims, including those related to the Alaska Airlines flight incident, exposed significant production shortcuts and safety oversights, leading to his role as a whistleblower under the AIR21 federal law.
The timing of Barnett’s death raises questions over the ongoing lawsuit against Boeing, where he was set to give key testimony about his allegations. His previous statements and the evidence he presented had already painted a clear picture of Boeing’s internal issues potentially influencing the outcome of the case. The whistleblower’s allegations drew significant attention to the company’s operations, sparking debate over safety standards and corporate accountability in the aviation industry.
John Barnett’s untimely death leaves a void not only in the lawsuit against Boeing but also in the broader conversation about corporate whistleblowing and safety in aviation. His commitment to speaking out against what he saw as a serious security risk reflected the important role of whistleblowers in holding corporations accountable.
