Police investigate death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett after he was ... trends now

Police announced today that they have launched an investigation into the death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, after a coroner ruled he died from a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound.  

Former Boeing quality manager John Barnett was found dead in South Carolina on Saturday morning, less than three months after he warned about the production processes of both the 737 and 787-Dreamliner.

Charleston Police Department have confirmed that it is investigating the death of Barnett, 62, as it emerged he was in Charleston for legal interviews linked to claims that Boeing has hampered his career and tarnished his reputation for speaking out about production issues on several plane models. 

On the third day of his deposition, he was due to be cross examined by his own lawyers, but failed to show up. After enquiries were made, he was found dead in his truck in his hotel's car park. 

The Charleston County coroner confirmed to the BBC on Monday that he had died from a 'self-inflicted' wound on Friday March 8. 

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.

'We understand the global attention this case has garnered, and it is our priority to ensure that the investigation is not influenced by speculation but is led by facts and evidence. 

'Given the sensitive nature of the investigation, we are unable to participate in media interviews at this time. 

'This stance is not unique to this case but is a standard procedure we adhere to in order to preserve the integrity of active investigations.'

John's lawyer during the deposition, Brian Knowles, said in a statement issued on Monday: 'John had been back and forth for quite some time getting prepared. 

'The defense examined him for their allowed seven hours under the rules on Thursday.

'I cross examined him all day yesterday [Friday] and did not finish. We agreed to continue this morning at 10 am [co-counsel] Rob [Turkewitz] kept calling this morning and his phone would go to voicemail.

'We then asked the hotel to check on him. 

'They found him in his truck dead from an 'alleged' self-inflicted gunshot. We drove to the hotel and spoke with the police and the coroner.' 

There isn't any evidence to suggest foul play in Barnett's death.  

Boeing also responded to the former worker's death in their own statement as news spread on Monday, saying it was 'saddened by Mr. Barnett's passing.'

The statement did not address any aspects of the case, but brass ultimately added: 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Brian Knowles for further comment.  

The suit alleged under-pressure workers were deliberately fitting 'sub-standard' parts to Boeing 787s, and that brass were sweeping defects under the rug to save money.

Earlier this year, Barnett appeared on TMZ to provide his take on a technical failure that saw a door fly off its hinges of a 737 - a model he said was being victimized by recent shifts in strategy along with the 787.

His warning would prove prophetic, as a 787 experienced a midair 'technical event' Monday injuring 50 passengers.

In January, Barnett explained why he believed both models were ticking time bombs, as both incidents remain under investigation.

'This is not a 737 problem - this is a Boeing problem,' he said after being asked if he believed the 737 was safe to fly following the door incident and a subsequent FAA inspection.

'I know the FAA is going in and done due diligence and inspections to ensure the door close on the 737 is installed properly and the fasteners are stored properly,' he said, citing the parts that likely played a part in the incident.

'But, my concern is, "What's the rest of the airplane? What's the condition of the rest of the airplane?"'

He went on to provide a reason for that concern - one that he said led him to file the lawsuit against the aviation firm. 

'Back in 2012, Boeing started removing inspection operations off their jobs,' he told TMZ's Charles Latibeaudiere and Harvey Levin, recalling his time as a quality overseer at Boeing's plant in South Carolina, which manufactured mostly 787s.

'So, it left the mechanics to buy off their own work,' he explained.

Barnett went on to charge that the incident involving the door was indicative of something greater - and something alleged in his lawsuit: Boeing turning a blind eye to safety concerns in order to raise their bottom line.

'What we're seeing with the door plug blowout is what I've seen with the rest of the airplane, as far as jobs not being completed properly, inspection steps being removed, issues being ignored,' he charged, months before his sudden death.

'My concerns are with the 737 and 787, because those programs have really embraced the theory that quality is overhead and non value added.

'Those two programs have really put a strong effort into removing quality from the process.'

The FAA appears to have stood up some of the then-alive expert's assertions after revealing how a six-week audit found 'multiple instances where [Boeing] allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements' of its 737s.

At one point during the exam, Feds found that mechanics at Spirit AeroSystems - one of Boeing's main suppliers - used a hotel key card to check a door seal, and a liquid Dawn soap to a door seal 'as lubricant in the fit-up process.'

That action was 'not identified/documented/called-out in the production order,' a document outlining the probe said - spurring FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to decree Boeing must develop a comprehensive plan to address such 'systemic quality-control issues' within 90 days.

He sent summary of its findings to the companies in its completed audit, after an all-day February 27 meeting with CEO Dave Calhoun. He did not state the specific corrective actions Boeing and Spirit must take.

'Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,' Whitaker explained at the time last week. 'We are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations.'

Calhoun responded in his own statement, saying that Boeing's leadership team was 'totally committed' to addressing FAA concerns and developing the plan.

Meanwhile, Spirit, which makes the fuselage for the now scrutinized MAX, issued a statement saying it was 'in communication with Boeing and the FAA on appropriate corrective actions.'

In response, Boeing brass claimed that after the 'quality stand-downs, the FAA audit findings, and the recent expert review panel report, [the firm has] a clear picture of what needs to be done.'

As for Barnett, he outlined to TMZ in January how he began to push back at brass at the then-new South Carolina plant in 2010 when they allegedly started to pushback on his quality control of the 787 Dreamliner, one of several crafts now making headlines.

'When I first started working at Charleston, I was in charge of pushing back defects to our suppliers,' he told Latibeaudiere and Levin, appearing virtually days before heading back to the South Carolina city to handle depositions with Boeing lawyers, his attorney confirmed

'What that meant was, I'd take a group of inspectors and actually go to the supplier and inspect their product before they sent it in,' he continued.

'I'd take a team of four inspectors to Spirit Aerosystems to inspect the 41 section [the portion of an aircraft, extending from the nose to just aft of the cockpit window] before they sent it Charleston, and we found 300 defects.'

He went on: 'Some of them were significant that needed engineering intervention.

'When I returned to Charleston, my senior manager told me that we had found too many defects, and he was gonna take the next trip,' he then revealed.

'So, the next trip he went on, he took two of my inspectors, and when they got back they were given accolades for only finding 50 defects. So, I pulled that inspector aside, and I said, "did Spirit really clean up their act that quick? That don't sound right.

'And she was mad. She said, no - the inspectors were given two hours to inspect the whole 41 section and they were kicked off the airplane.'

The interview ended there, and within weeks, Barnett was in Charleston ironing out his ongoing lawsuit.

Days later, he was found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot in South Carolina, his lawyer said Monday - seven years after he retired following a 32-year career.

The ex-quality manager at Boeing's North Charleston plant died from a 'self-inflicted' wound, the local coroner said - adding that cops were still investigating the death.

Two days later, roughly 50 people were treated by first responders after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying from Australia to New Zealand experienced a 'technical event' that caused 'a strong movement' jolting passengers in their seats.

As of writing, five remain hospitalized - after the plane dipped violently due to the unspecified issue, LATAM airline and first responders both told AFP.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in early January, an unused emergency exit door blew off a brand-new Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off from Portland International, sparking a still-ongoing DOJ investigation.

On Friday, shortly before the incident over the Indian Ocean, Boeing said it believed the technical failure involving the door stemmed from something that occurred during production, where required

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