Boeing whistleblower John Barnett: Full list of claims the dead 62-year-old ... trends now
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel which the coroner put down to a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound in the head.
However, the 62-year-old's attorney, Brian Knowles, has made sure to call this an 'alleged' suicide, coming just days after his client testified in a lawsuit against the aviation giant and cops have confirmed that they are investigating further.
Sgt. Anthony Gibson of The Charleston Police Department told local media: 'Detectives are actively investigating this case and are awaiting the formal cause of death, along with any additional findings that might shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Barnett.'
The ex-quality manager at Boeing's North Charleston plant, where 787 Dreamliners are built, was found in his truck in a hotel carpark on March 9 - during a break in depositions in said suit.
Mr Knowles added that Barnett had just given a deposition to Boeing's lawyers for the case in the week before his death. The company said it was saddened to hear of their ex-employee's passing.
The whistleblower was a Boing employee from 1985 and became the Charleston site's quality manager in 2010 before retiring on health grounds seven years later. So, what were his subsequent claims? Find the full list below.
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel which cops have put down to a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound in the head
Barnett worked for Boeing for over three decades and became the quality manager at the company's North Charleston plant in 2010 (stock image)
In 2019, he told the New York Times that he raised concerns over clusters of metal shavings - produced when fasteners are fitted into nuts - hanging above the wiring commanding the flight controls.
He said that if those sharp metal pieces were to fall and penetrate the wires it would be 'catastrophic'.
Barnett added that he repeatedly urged those above him to remove the shavings before making his whistle-blower complaint, but was ignored and later moved to another part of the plant.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman said it had inspected several planes certified by Boeing as free of the shavings, and found that same metal debris which can cause short-circuiting and fires.
In 2017, the FAA issued a directive requiring that Dreamliners be cleared of them before being delivered and Boeing said they were complying.
Barnett's lawyer has been careful to insist that his client's suicide is 'alleged' in the wake of the 'tragic' event
