(ProsperNews.net) – A former Boeing employee who testified against the company for lax safety practices has been found dead. Police say 62-year-old John Barnett died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his hotel parking lot in mid-March, just days after he delivered a deposition to Boeing attorneys and testified that the aircraft giant cut corners on safety and that under-pressure staff fitted substandard parts to long haul 787 planes.
Boeing employed Mr. Barnett for 32 years, and he retired from the company in 2017. Two years later, he told the BBC that during his time at a North Charleston plant, where he was part of a safety assessment team for 787 Dreamliner production, he witnessed oxygen mask testing, which showed that only three-quarters would work in the event of an emergency.
Furthermore, at a South Carolina manufacturing facility, Barnett alleged that workers did not follow procedures and used substandard parts to ensure speedy production. Boeing denied Mr. Barnett’s claims, but a subsequent investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found they had merit.
In February this year, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to address quality issues following a mid-flight door blow-out on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon. The door fell from the aircraft when a plug used to keep it in place dislodged. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing, and Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun apologized and “acknowledged their mistake.”
When hotel staff discovered Mr. Barnett’s body in the parking lot, Boeing issued a statement expressing condolences to his family, but some online speculation suggested that his death was convenient for the company.
Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy added his voice and said Boeing tried to destroy Barnett’s life following his original testimony. Kennedy noted a documentary produced by his sister, Rory Kennedy, that investigated two crashed flights in 2018 and 2019 in which 346 people died. The Presidential candidate said corporate “greed” had caused their deaths.
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