Police complete investigation into Boeing whistleblower’s suicide

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A former Boeing executive who raised safety questions about the plane maker and was found dead in South Carolina after several days of testimony took his own life, police said Friday after completing their investigation.

John Barnett, 62, of Louisiana, was found dead March 9, and police had previously said his injuries were self-inflicted.

Barnett was a longtime Boeing employee and worked as a quality control manager before retiring in 2017. In the years since, he shared his concerns with journalists.

Barnett said he saw discarded metal shavings near the flight control wiring that could have severed the wiring and caused a disaster. He also found problems with up to a quarter of the oxygen systems on Boeing’s 787 planes.

“The information and records reviewed during the investigation uncovered Mr. Barnett’s long-standing mental health issues, which had been exacerbated in connection with ongoing legal proceedings related to his whistleblower case,” a police statement said.

Barnett was in Charleston answering questions about the deposition of his whistleblower complaint, and a hearing on the matter was scheduled for June.

“John was deeply concerned about the safety of the aircraft and the passengers flying and had identified some serious deficiencies which, in his opinion, had not been adequately addressed,” Barnett’s brother Rodney said in a family statement shortly after his death. “He said Boeing cultivated a culture of obfuscation and put profit over safety.”

Boeing said in a statement: “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing and our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes a discussion of suicide. The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by phone or text on 988. There is also online chat at 988lifeline.org.