John Barnett, who blew the whistle on Boeing’s safety practices, was found dead.
Barnett, 62, died “from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” officials in Charleston, South Carolina, said Monday.
The former Boeing quality inspector spent more than 30 years at Boeing. He alerted authorities to “‘catastrophic’ safety failings,” according to NBC News.
This move may have led to his death, according to his family.
“His family said in a statement Monday that he had tried to highlight serious concerns but was met with ‘a culture of concealment’ that valued ‘profits over safety,’” according to NBC.
The family said Barnett had post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety attacks and that the “hostile work environment at Boeing” led to his death, per the outlet.
In a statement Monday, Boeing said: “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Barnett worked at Boeing’s 787 plant in Charleston, South Carolina, since 2010, his family said.
He told The New York Times that metal shavings may cut wiring that connects the flight controls, NBC reported.
“The FAA ordered Boeing to clear the shavings from the Dreamliners in 2017,” according to NBC’s report. “Boeing said then that it was following the ruling and would look to improve the design of the nut, but also said it wasn’t a flight safety issue.”
Barnett told The Times, “I haven’t seen a plane out of Charleston yet that I’d put my name on saying it’s safe and airworthy.”
Barnett filed a whistleblower complaint after he retired in 2017.
He accused the company of “denigrating his character and hampering his career,” he said in an action against Boeing.
Boeing denied the allegations.
That case was set to go to trial in June.
“He was looking forward to having his day in court and hoped that it would force Boeing to change its culture,” his family said.
The news of Barnett’s death as Boeing faces scrutiny following several incidents, including a door plug blowing out on an Alaska Airlines flight in January, according to NBC News.
More recently, 50 people were injured on a Boeing plane after a sudden movement mid-air on a flight from Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand on Monday.
