He had warned about construction problems: a former Boeing employee commits suicide just after his testimony against his employer

Cet ancien employé était engagé depuis sa retraite dans une procédure judiciaire contre Boeing. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – Boris Roessler

Engaged in legal proceedings against the company in which he worked for more than 30 years, a former Boeing employee killed himself in the United States this Saturday, March 9. A few days earlier, he had testified against the American aircraft manufacturer and alerted to construction problems. 

In turmoil for several months, due to repeated incidents on its aircraft, Boeing is once again at the heart of a sinister affair: John Barnett, a former employee who worked more than 30 years for the company. #39;American aircraft manufacturer before retiring in 2017, was found dead in the United States this Saturday, March 9, reports the BBC. 

Malfunction of the emergency oxygenation system, defective parts… the retiree who became a whistleblower had been involved since the termination of his activity in legal proceedings against his former employer, after expressing his concerns about Boeing's safety standards. 

"Every day we found things left on planes. In a 787, after a test flight, a ladder was found in the stabilizer. If it had fallen on the jack system, the plane would have gone up in smoke", indicated John Barnett, as an example, in the documentary "Downfall: the Boeing Affair", broadcast on Netflix in 2022.

Discovered in his car in a parking lot

A few days before his death, the whistleblower testified against the American manufacturer. According to the BBC, he was due to testify again on the day of his death. His body was found in his vehicle, parked in the parking lot of the hotel where he was staying. Local authorities say John Barnett died of a “self-inflicted” wound. to the head. 

To this death described as "tragic" by the victim's lawyer, Boeing reacted in a press release saying it was "saddened" by the disappearance of John Barnett. 

This comes as questions surrounding the safety of Boeing aircraft are multiplying, in reaction to a series of problems on its aircraft for several months. The latest one dates back to Monday March 11, which occurred on a LATAM Airlines flight which linked Sydney to Auckland. Fifty people were injured, some were thrown to the ceiling of the device, due to a "technical problem" which was not detailed either by the air carrier or by the American manufacturer.