John Barnett (whistleblower): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:01, 16 March 2024
John Barnett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1961/1962 |
| Died | (aged 62) |
| Nationality | American |
| Employer |
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| Known for | Boeing whistleblower |
John Mitchell Barnett, also going by Swampy or Mitch,[1][2] (1961/1962 – March 9, 2024) was an American aerospace engineer, Boeing employee, and whistleblower. Born in Pineville, Louisiana, Barnett worked at Boeing for 32 years, serving for seven as a quality control manager. After retiring from the company, Barnett began discussing malpractices of Boeing with several news agencies. In 2024, he issued warnings about Boeing's work culture and vehicle safety and filed an AIR 21 lawsuit against Boeing, alleging that the company "undermined his career because he had raised safety concerns." After he failed to report for his third day of deposition in his defamation case against Boeing, he was found dead, described by the Charleston County coroner as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His family and lawyers dispute that it was a suicide, and authorities are investigating his death.
Early life
Barnett, who was born in 1961 or 1962, grew up in Pineville, Louisiana.[1][3] At the time of his death, he was survived by his mother, Vicky Melder Stokes, and his three brothers.[4]
Career
Barnett worked at Boeing for 32 years. For seven years, from 2010 to 2017, he worked as a quality control manager for Boeing South Carolina plant, which produces the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.[5][3]
According to Barnett's family, Barnett's doctor stated that the job-related stress would cause Barnett a heart attack unless he quit. He retired in 2017.[4]
Downgrading for use of email
A senior manager downgraded Barnett for "using email to express process violations" in place of face-to-face communication, which Barnett "took to mean he shouldn't put problems in writing." The manager also pushed Barnett to get better at "working in the gray areas and help find a way while maintaining compliance."[1]
Use of defective parts
Barnett claimed that, in 2016, a senior manager installed a scrapped, dented hydraulic tube in a plane. He filed a complaint with human resources. Boeing stated that they had investigated and did not substantiate those claims.[1]
Barnett raised issues of more missing defective parts to management, fearing that they had been installed. He claimed his bosses directed him to finish paperwork on missing parts without determining where they had ended up.[1] No action was taken by managers.[3]
Barnett claimed workers did not follow procedures to track components, allowing the loss of parts and later installation of defective parts. He stated that these installations were to prevent delays on the production line,[3] as was the lack of following procedure.[4] A 2017 Federal Aviation Administration report determined that at least 53 "non-conforming" parts were missing, and ordered Boeing to take remedial action.[3]
Metal shavings
Barnett reported that he had discovered "clusters of metal shavings" left near electrical systems for flight controls, which could have "catastrophic" results if the shavings were able to penetrate the wiring. He stated that he repeatedly urged his bosses to take action, but they instead transferred him to another part of the plant.
In 2017, the FAA issued a directive mandating removal of shavings pre-delivery. Boeing claimed they were complying and working to improve the design to avoid the issue, but determined that the issue was not a flight safety issue.[1]
After retirement
Upon retirement, he came forward to discuss numerous malpractices of Boeing with British broadcaster BBC, including overworking employees and not providing proper maintenance to aircraft.[6] He also said that many of the oxygen systems for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner might be faulty as a result (showcasing tests which showed a failure rate of 25%).[6] In 2019, Barnett appeared in a New York Times article raising additional quality issues at his former facility, speaking about the metal shavings.[1] Boeing subsequently denied his assertions. However, a 2017 review by the FAA had upheld several of Barnett's concerns: it was discovered that over 50 "non-conforming" plane components in the facility were considered missing as their location could not be found.[5]
In early 2024, Barnett issued further warnings regarding Boeing's work culture and vehicle safety following Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, in which a door was blown out.[7] Barnett subsequently filed an AIR 21 (law protecting airline safety whistleblowers) case against Boeing, claiming the firm had "undermined his career because he had raised safety concerns at the Charleston plant",[8] "hampering his career progression and denigrating his career".[5]
Death
Barnett was in Charleston, South Carolina, the week of March 12, 2024, for his deposition in his defamation lawsuit against Boeing.[9] Before his death, he had given a deposition and undergone cross-examination from his own lawyers.[5]
According to a March 2024 interview with his lawyer, Brian Knowles, Barnett was supposed to report for the third day of his deposition, for further questioning,[5] but did not show up or respond to calls on the next day.[8] He was found dead shortly thereafter,[10] on March 9, in his truck in a hotel parking lot[4][3] from what the Charleston County coroner's office characterized as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[5] His death was announced two days later on March 11.[4][3] Prior to his death, Barnett reportedly told a family friend that "If anything happens to me, it's not suicide."[11][12]
Responses
In response to his death, Boeing released a statement saying "We are saddened by Mr. Barnett's death, and our thoughts are with his friends and family."[3]
Barnett's family said that "he was looking forward to having his day in court and hoped that it would force Boeing to change its culture," though "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".[9]
Knowles and another of Barnett's lawyers, Robert Turkewitz, told CBS News that "[Barnett] was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn't see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it." They called for a police investigation into his death.[9] Authorities are currently investigating as of March 12.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Kitroeff, Natalie; Gelles, David (April 20, 2019). "Claims of Shoddy Production Draw Scrutiny to a Second Boeing Jet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ Gates, Dominic (March 12, 2024). "Boeing 787 whistleblower found dead in apparent suicide". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Leggett, Theo (March 11, 2024). "Boeing whistleblower found dead in US". BBC News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Patrick; Li, David K.; Sheeley, Colin (March 12, 2024). "Boeing whistleblower who warned of aircraft safety flaws found dead". NBC News. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
A former Boeing quality inspector who filed a whistleblower complaint over alleged plane safety flaws was found dead "from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," officials in Charleston, South Carolina, said Monday.
- ^ a b c d e f Hart, Robert (March 12, 2024). "Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett Found Dead This Weekend—Here's What To Know". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Leggett, Theo (November 6, 2019). "Boeing whistleblower raises doubts over 787 oxygen system". BBC News. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Daly, Nadia (January 30, 2024). "'That plane shouldn't have been built': Former Boeing workers slam speed over safety culture". ABC News Australia. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Loh, Matthew (March 12, 2024). "A former Boeing manager turned whistleblower has been found dead with a 'self-inflicted' wound, the authorities say". Business Insider. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c Breen, Kerry (March 12, 2024). "Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in South Carolina". CBS News. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Ewe, Koh (March 12, 2024). "Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett Found Dead Amid Depositions Against Plane Company". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ Emerson, Anne (March 14, 2024). "'If anything happens, it's not suicide': Boeing whistleblower's prediction before death". WCIV. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Blackstock, Elizabeth (March 15, 2024). "'If anything happens to me, it's not suicide,' friend of dead Boeing whistleblower says he told her". Quartz. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.