- John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot on Saturday
- Police made the announcement Monday, saying he was in Charleston for the trial
- The ex-quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant issued a statement to Boeing last week after claiming they were using second-rate parts
A former Boeing employee who once raised concerns about the company’s manufacturing standards has been found dead in the US.
John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in the parking lot of a South Carolina hotel, police said Monday — seven years after he retired from a 32-year career.
The ex-quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant died of a “self-inflicted” wound, police in Charleston said, adding that they were still investigating.
Barnett’s death came during a lull in depositions in a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit alleging that workers under pressure deliberately fitted substandard parts to aircraft on an assembly line.
He said that in some cases, second-rate parts were literally pulled from scrap bins before being fitted to aircraft under construction to avoid delays. A 2017 review by the FAA confirmed some of its concerns, prompting Boeing to take action.
He made a formal statement to Boeing’s lawyers last week, his lawyer said.
More to follow…
John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in the parking lot of a South Carolina hotel, police said Monday — seven years after he retired from the company following a 32-year career
Brian Knowles called his client’s death “tragic” in a statement Monday.