A few days ago, I wrote about how a former Boeing employee tragically died in an apparent suicide, and the timing of this sure is… kind of chilling? As more details emerge about what happened, you can’t help but wonder what exactly went down.
In this post:
Whistleblower dies during legal trial with Boeing
62-year-old John Barnett worked at Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017. In recent years, he has become known for being a whistleblower, raising concerns about the company’s production standards.
Barnett had been pursuing legal action against Boeing, accusing the company of denigrating his character and hampering his career due to what he exposed about the company.
Roughly a week ago, Barnett had been in Charleston for legal interviews linked to this case. He gave a formal deposition in which he was questioned by Boeing lawyers, before being cross-examined. During this, he had been providing evidence in his lawsuit against the company, related to Boeing’s quality defects.
Barnett was supposed to undergo more questioning on Saturday, March 9, 2024. However, he didn’t show up in court. Questions about his whereabouts were raised, and the Holiday Inn Charleston (where he was staying) was contacted. He was subsequently found dead in his truck in the hotel parking lot.
The Charleston County coroner confirmed the death on Monday, and stated the cause of death was a “self-inflicted” wound. Boeing issued a statement that “we are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
The strange circumstances surrounding this
As more details emerge about what happened, you can’t help but wonder.
For one, Barnett was found with a pistol in his hand, and the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head. It’s worth noting that according to studies, only in about 25% of cases would a gun stay in someone’s hand if they shot themselves. So that’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely.
I’m curious what the coroner knew regarding the gunshot wound being “self-inflicted,” since it seems like that’s quite a conclusion to jump to, especially in something as suspicious as this.
Barnett ate dinner at the hotel the night before he was found, and a staff member who observed him said he appeared to be acting normal. Not that this necessarily means anything, but…
Meanwhile a friend of Barnett has come forward and stated that Barnett had predicted that he might be killed, and that it might be framed as suicide. According to this friend:
“He wasn’t concerned about safety because I asked him. I said, ‘Aren’t you scared?’ And he said, ‘No, I ain’t scared, but if anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.’ I know that he did not commit suicide. There’s no way. He loved life too much. He loved his family too much. He loved his brothers too much to put them through what they’re going through right now.”
The Boeing issues that Barnett brought up
Starting in 2010, Barnett worked as a quality manager at Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner plant in Charleston, and he worked there until 2017, when he retired. During this time, he became concerned that Boeing’s priority was building new aircraft as quickly as possible, even if it meant compromising safety, a philosophy directly at odds with what he was supposed to oversee.
In recent years, the details he has shared have played a part in the case against Boeing. Among other things, Barnett had claimed that:
- Workers had been deliberately fitting sub-standards parts to aircraft on the production line
- There were problems with oxygen systems, which could mean one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency
- Workers failed to follow procedures intended to track components through the factories, allowing defective components to go missing
- Sub-standard parts had been removed from scrap bins and fitted to planes that were being built, to prevent delays on the production line
When Barnett alerted managers of what he observed, no action was taken. Of course it’s worth stating that Boeing denies these allegations. However, a review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found merit to some of Barnett’s concerns. And I think at this point, the whole world has seen how Boeing’s priority is profit over safety.
Bottom line
A Boeing whistleblower who was in the middle of a court case with the aircraft manufacturer died in an apparent suicide, on the same day he was supposed to be in court. Barnett had worked at Boeing for 32 years, and did a lot to expose the company’s shortcomings.
Friends of Barnett are claiming that there’s no way this was a suicide, and that he even warned that he might be killed, and that it would be framed that way.
No matter the cause, this is tragic, and my thoughts are with Barnett’s family…
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
Everyone should watch the documentary: Broken Dreams, the Boeing 787. I watched back in 2014, and everything that was brought to light about safety in manufacturing has now come to light.
Ben does forensic pathology in addition to travel blogging! Who knew?!
Boeing and Airbus both have safety issues. How could they not? They've collectively flown over a billion people in the last decade.
But yet everyone continues to fly. There isn't another choice, those are the 2 main players.
Companies have been causing irreparable harm to humans for years: Monsanto, Phillip Morris & Pfizer for example. And guess what? All of those companies still exist or have been gobbled up by another company. Wake...
Boeing and Airbus both have safety issues. How could they not? They've collectively flown over a billion people in the last decade.
But yet everyone continues to fly. There isn't another choice, those are the 2 main players.
Companies have been causing irreparable harm to humans for years: Monsanto, Phillip Morris & Pfizer for example. And guess what? All of those companies still exist or have been gobbled up by another company. Wake up folks. Damage is what the world is good at.
American Corporations would NEVER directly commit mass murder. Oh no, never, never, never. It's all fake news. Why would you even think something so ghastly? It's only money, nothing important!
United Fruit Company. Colombia, 1928: hold my machete..
It's impossible for us to know if this was a suicide or not, at least with the information we currently have. However for those saying a corporation wouldn't do something like this, take a look at this case:
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/30/1126078948/live-spiders-and-cockroaches-ex-ebay-executives-get-prison-time-in-harassment-pl
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-charge-ebay-stalking-scandal-ina-david-steiner/
Just a couple of people can use a company's resources to inflict tremendous damage.
It's impossible for us to know if this was a suicide or not, at least with the information we currently have. However for those saying a corporation wouldn't do something like this, take a look at this case:
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/30/1126078948/live-spiders-and-cockroaches-ex-ebay-executives-get-prison-time-in-harassment-pl
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-charge-ebay-stalking-scandal-ina-david-steiner/
Just a couple of people can use a company's resources to inflict tremendous damage.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boeing-737-max-engine-fix-tammy-duckworth/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a
Boeing’s bond rating was just lowered by Fitch as well.
I know, I know, we could discuss the merits and demerits of Fitch all day, but that misses the point.
Financially, Boeing is in a horrible place.
No. Boeing is not in a horrible place. Boeing IS A HORRIBLE PLACE. Big difference..[sighs]
I'm very shocked that this happened in the U.S. I thought it was only in a 3rd world country or Eastern Europe. It's very doubtful that he's committed suicide. Try to avoid flying with Boeing is not easy, especially for domestic flights. Boeing is not a nice company. My husband used to work for Boeing for over 10 years. The Company has no concern for their employees at all. All about profit and pleasing their shareholders.
Going through a lawsuit is incredibly stressful. You are advised by your legal team not to discuss it. Full stop. And that may include your spouse. It is an isolating experience at a time when you really need supportive people. To suggest this was murder is now punishing family and friends of Mr. Barnett less than a week since his death. And Ben, please, you have posted about about your fascination with murder mystery shows...
Going through a lawsuit is incredibly stressful. You are advised by your legal team not to discuss it. Full stop. And that may include your spouse. It is an isolating experience at a time when you really need supportive people. To suggest this was murder is now punishing family and friends of Mr. Barnett less than a week since his death. And Ben, please, you have posted about about your fascination with murder mystery shows but remember how hurtful stirring this pot can be. Let the investigation continue.
It all depends on how much the lawyers harassed the guy at the deposition. Did they ask if he watched porn? I've been in depositions where the lawyer asked lots of inappropriate questions. One deposition was about a relatively simple set of facts and that I was mostly uninvolved but the lawyers grilled me for 9 hours.
If the deposition was not biting and hostile, it was likely murder.
can't be Boeing, just too obvious, but probably was some sort of Boeing stan; the aviation industry seems to attract some unhinged fanatics who fixate on defending a company's every move no matter how indefensible it is
You guys are watch too many movies. "whistleblowers" are generally just disgruntled former employees who never made it far in their career, weren't listened to at work because they were not respected, and now have an axe to grind. Whatever they say should not be taken at face value. He was a "quality manager", they are not exactly known as the best and brightest. It's a dead end job and has no decision making power...
You guys are watch too many movies. "whistleblowers" are generally just disgruntled former employees who never made it far in their career, weren't listened to at work because they were not respected, and now have an axe to grind. Whatever they say should not be taken at face value. He was a "quality manager", they are not exactly known as the best and brightest. It's a dead end job and has no decision making power except measuring what they are told to measure.
My guess is this guy realized that he was a phony, he didn't know anything except anecdotal experiences and hearsay, and suddenly he was getting a lot of attention, but he was afraid he was going to be exposed as a fraud. We'll see what the suicide note says.
I don’t think you understand mental health.
I assume you mean mental illness. I'm sure you understand that well. But least you're admitting that this is indeed a suicide, and not a sinister conspiracy by an evil corporation like most of these other yahoos.
Considering two Boeing planes flew themselves out of the sky, and one was delivered with missing bolts, I think I trust the "disgruntled former employee who never made it far" claiming that Boeing has serious safety issues, than the company spending 90% of its income on stock buy backs claiming that their aircraft are perfectly safe to step on
So, just to confirm that I'm understanding you correctly, are you saying that Boeing's "quality managers" are not known to be "bright" and aren't the "best"?
Just asking because it reads like that, and for someone who is, apparently, trying to defend Boeing (for whatever reason) that's quite a damning statement to make.
@Mantis. You must not have read the news much over the past few years. He was right. About everything.
Isnt it weird how theres so many negative stories about boeing coming out at the same time that a country has developed a new long haul plane that has yet to be certified anywhere other than its country of origin?
What long haul plane would that be? I'm not aware of new long haul aircraft being released.
He's talking about China's C-919 aircraft, which is many years away, if at all, from coming under serious consideration by any respectable airline, to say nothing of certification.
Its short haul!
I’m not a Boeing fan, but I think this speculation is very unfair. If Boeing wanted to silence a whistleblower, why would they do it years after the person has disclosed what they know — on the record. I know Boeing has made some terrible mistakes that have resulted in a couple of fatal accidents, but does anyone really think the corporation has decided to engage in vengeance murders? Who exactly are we suggesting had...
I’m not a Boeing fan, but I think this speculation is very unfair. If Boeing wanted to silence a whistleblower, why would they do it years after the person has disclosed what they know — on the record. I know Boeing has made some terrible mistakes that have resulted in a couple of fatal accidents, but does anyone really think the corporation has decided to engage in vengeance murders? Who exactly are we suggesting had this man killed? Corporations are just groups of people, after all. Who is everyone suggesting is the murderer?
No (rich) executive wants to lose their job and go to jail.
Huge huge hole in the murdered theory.
Yes! I do think that this GREEDY, PROFIT-OVER-PEOPLE company would absolutely, without a doubt, do this. Why would you give them the benefit of the doubt? How have they earned that? They have EVERY REASON to want to get rid of him. They are in heated cometition with Airbus, they're trying to get their 737Max-10 certified - and this guy was messing with billions of dollars.
But let me ask you a question... why would...
Yes! I do think that this GREEDY, PROFIT-OVER-PEOPLE company would absolutely, without a doubt, do this. Why would you give them the benefit of the doubt? How have they earned that? They have EVERY REASON to want to get rid of him. They are in heated cometition with Airbus, they're trying to get their 737Max-10 certified - and this guy was messing with billions of dollars.
But let me ask you a question... why would you say "speculation is unfair"? They have a motive to get rid of this whistleblower and suddenly he turns up dead in a suspicious suicide. Isn't it OUR JOB TO SPECULATE in order to get to the truth and hold Boeing accountable if necessary? It's not unfair - it's how justice works.
Mr. Barnett had already told everyone his experiences at Boeing, in the media and in court proceedings. Murder at this point would be too late to silence him. If the men and women of Boeing leadership decided to murder someone, you’d think they’d do that before he went on the record with his allegations, not after. And no, I don’t think it’s our job to speculate about someone committing murder. False allegations of a heinous...
Mr. Barnett had already told everyone his experiences at Boeing, in the media and in court proceedings. Murder at this point would be too late to silence him. If the men and women of Boeing leadership decided to murder someone, you’d think they’d do that before he went on the record with his allegations, not after. And no, I don’t think it’s our job to speculate about someone committing murder. False allegations of a heinous crime like murder ruin lives, and that’s not fair. Our criminal justice system works well, but it doesn’t and shouldn’t work on speculation.
John, I tend to agree. It almost to suss for it to be murder. As you say, right now, in the middle of proceedings? And as you also say, Boeing is people. This would mean execs, people after all, signing off on murder. For what? So Airbus doesn't increase market share? So they save some of their bonus? So they don't have to stand down and find a new job which they could probably very...
John, I tend to agree. It almost to suss for it to be murder. As you say, right now, in the middle of proceedings? And as you also say, Boeing is people. This would mean execs, people after all, signing off on murder. For what? So Airbus doesn't increase market share? So they save some of their bonus? So they don't have to stand down and find a new job which they could probably very easily get? There's a truism in PR that the cover up is often worse than the crime. A timely apology is better than pretending something didn't happen. Ordering someone killed would be the most extreme example of trying to cover something up by doing something far, far worse. I suppose there's a possibility all the ills of Boeing come back to a single person who then ordered a hit job to cover tracks. But I still feel it's unlikely.
Look up the Post Office scandal in the UK.
Money was extorted from thousands of sub-post-masters, and 700 were wrongly prosecuted and convicted, all because management and software company did not want to admit to faulty software.
Led to at least 4 suicides by those made bankrupt/divorced and huge amounts of misery over 20 years.
The PO did not go as far as murder.
I agree it is unlikely that Boeing explicitly...
Look up the Post Office scandal in the UK.
Money was extorted from thousands of sub-post-masters, and 700 were wrongly prosecuted and convicted, all because management and software company did not want to admit to faulty software.
Led to at least 4 suicides by those made bankrupt/divorced and huge amounts of misery over 20 years.
The PO did not go as far as murder.
I agree it is unlikely that Boeing explicitly ordered a murder.
More likely is that they:
- asked a security firm for help, which was interpreted as appreciating murder; or
- a Boeing-sympathiser (E.g. a former employee) intervened (as @digital_notmad suggests); or
- blackmailed/exposed something irrelevant (as @derek suggests) which led to suicide.
I don't think it would be an executive at Boeing making that decision. However, an investor who has lost billions and has more to lose, could work with cartels or foreign entities to make this happen.
It just so brazen now. Even the pretense of being a law abiding entity is gone. This is worse than mafia!
I’m sure Boeing will just borrow more money for future stock buybacks.
Per the guy's own family. "He was suffering from PTSD and anxiety attacks as a result of being subjected to the hostile work environment at Boeing which we believe led to his death"
I'm sure it was seen to by the powers that be that they said this. Absolutely coerced.
The "powers that be" threatened the family to falsely say he had PTSD so they could do a hit job at some point in the future to save some exec jobs at Boeing and have cover for it? Sir, this isn't Russia.
Lol it's not Russia? You just living in some fairy fantasy at this point lol
At least he didn’t fall out of a window.
It's also possible that he did pull the trigger .... because Boeing found something with which they blackmailed him.
Apparently there is a a suicide note - it will be fascinating to see what it says.
The Empire Strikes Back. Whistleblower dead. Alaska Airlines thrown under the bus with new info about the plane not being taken out of service. Hmmm.
I remember back in the 1960s a DC based Department of Agriculture inspector was in South Texas investigating crooked crop payments. He was found in his car with double barrel shotgun blast (both triggers pulled. The Texas Sheriff ruled it a suicide.
Now Boeing doesn’t have anyone that has experience in military executions. Why would we have any reason not to trust them.
And the hits keep on coming.
Boeing is using Dawn dish soap and hotel key cards in the manf process, which are not to spec.
https://jalopnik.com/hotel-keycards-and-dawn-dish-soap-used-in-737-max-produ-1851327536
What hotel?
Good question. At least boeing is using name brand Dawn and not a generic.
The hotel of Last Resort ???
Perhaps, the bigger question is .. how does someone supposedly 'commit suicide' in a hotel carpark and it goes 'unnoticed', either from the noise of a gunshot or by lack of visual cues from security cameras surrounding a hotel ?
I find it implausible that this poor individual was only found after a court-invoked search. That, in itself, has to raise questions.
I'm far from a Boeing fanboy, but using dish soap to help install the seal would be acceptable. The problem is it wasn't specifically called out. The key card was probably about the right thickness and firmness. Unfortunately, with this much scrutiny, it won't be allowed to fly. (Pun not intended)
It was the Illuminati.
It was Biden's Justice Department.
It was the Deep State.
It was Hunter Biden.
It was Killary.
It was [your conspiracy here].
The comments on this are awesome, btw.
It was your bad breath.
Even if I could buy that he was killed, I can't respect the take that "Boeing had him killed". Like, if you think an executive dialed up a hitman or had one on the books, name names.
Boeing builds airplanes, it doesnt kill people. There can always be rogue employees and executives, though.
They sent in Hillary
I'm confused - is it normal for a big business to hire a contract killer or something to eliminate a someone who's threat to them in the US? Or are you all saying that they killed him just because it's Boeing?
Right! Both!
Hi guys, I've created a petition to push the DOJ to launch a criminal investigation on Boeing. Would you guys help to sign this and make some changes to the world? Thanks!
https://chng.it/dYDcjBHYR6
They already are
DOJ investigating one of the countries largest defense contractors and exporter. Then there's the activities from their PAC, especially in an election year.
No conflicts of interest here to see. No conspiracy, it's a suicide.
Has anything ever been accomplished by a change.org petition except wasted time?
It's dispiriting that media and others are just accepting his death as suicide as reported by authorities. Given the way the US regime and Boeing have been exposed repeatedly as intertwined and covering each others arses, this feels so suspicious and dodgy. Can you imagine if this was Russia who reported a whistleblower was found dead "due to self-inflicted woulds" - western media would be having field day!
Rather than "being suicided" the question is whether the stress of being a whistleblower became too much.
Taking on a massive company is not for the faint of heart and he started doing it long before it became fashionable to bash Boeing.
He probably did bring things to light and kept doing so until people in Washington listened.
Boeing is in an unbelievably hot seat right now and the feds appear to...
Rather than "being suicided" the question is whether the stress of being a whistleblower became too much.
Taking on a massive company is not for the faint of heart and he started doing it long before it became fashionable to bash Boeing.
He probably did bring things to light and kept doing so until people in Washington listened.
Boeing is in an unbelievably hot seat right now and the feds appear to not be willing to let up any time soon.
Only time will tell whether his testimony and death was enough to force real change at Boeing - not just for the benefit of the company but for the lives that are dependent on Boeing to build quality products.
Wow. A coherent, logical post by Mr. Dunn for a change.
the others were coherent also. You just didn't agree with them so thought the problem was me.
I'm shocked he didn't use this as an opportunity to promote Delta.
They don’t call you Dim without reason
what do they call me master?
a fraud
You know what they say about broken clocks
Tragic all around. Prayers, peace and respect for the family.
Yahoo news is reporting that FAA audits discovered that mechanics at Boeing used Dawn liquid soap as a lubricant to fit a 737 Max door seal.
Unfortunately, this is very believable.
I'm okay with it as long as they slapped the door after and said that's not going anywhere.
Not too concerned about the lubricant used for a non-moving part, even if it's soap. Far more concerned with the sealants they may or may not have used...
Boeing is a company that kills people. Whether it is poor safety. Or it is unconditional support for Israel in its genocide in Gaza. It is an evil company that should be boycotted wherever possible.
Why did you need to rear your ugly, Jew-hating face. Your comment is both inaccurate and despicable. FREE THE HOSTAGES NOW!
I agree. Free the Palestinian hostages, including thousands of Children, who are held illegally in Israeli prisons in violation of International law
Hard to be Jew-hating when I am Jewish myself.
> Hard to be Jew-hating when I am Jewish myself.
Doubt
Not sure, are you referring to the genocide, rape and pillage done to Jewish people on their Holiday? Kind of odd that the cries are out there for a Ramadan truce when Israel was attacked on a Holiday. By the way, this was not the first time, they were also attacked on Yom KIpper in a previous war.
Odd you failed to mention that Hostages were taken, some might still be alive and pregnant.
Did you take this picture using a phone that fell down a 19th-century chimney?
God rest his soul. Traumatized people will do anything. And so will desperate companies eager to protect 'the brand'..
Hmmm, whistleblower found dead in the middle of testimony against a multi-million dollar company due to "suicide". Right, not suspicious at all.
Multi Billion.
Not multi million.
Suicide is more common than most people think, especially in men.
Here in the UK (according to NHS) taking ones own life has overtaken car accidents deaths as the leading cause of death in men under 50.
Boeing and guns kill people.
Guns only kill when pointed at someone or misused.
No, people kill people.
No, Boeing kills people who happen to be whistleblowers exposing dangerous practices at high cost to them
totally not suspicious at all. /s
Well...they've already killed like hundreds of people with the Max...what's one more to them.
"Was suicided" is more like it.
Yes Prime Minister moment!
One line from Muriel’s Wedding came into my mind as I read about this tragedy…. “It’s Deidre Chambers! What a coincidence!”
Yup! "Self inflicted wound By Boeing".
Right in the middle of his own case against Boeing, when Boeing's image is at (the current) rock bottom, he suddenly just decides to kill himself.
Nothing suspicious here at all.
Certainly untimely and tragic …..
Had an interesting conversation with some Boeing employees two weeks back, one of which certainly was in a position to know about employee quality control issues in the company. Speaking as a retired auditor and former aerospace worker at a company that did business with Boeing, what I heard gave me a distinctly negative impression about onboarding within the company.