By Patrick Smith—
NBC News
A former Boeing quality inspector who filed a complaint over alleged safety failures on airplanes was found dead with an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” authorities in Charleston, South Carolina, said Monday.
John Barnett, 62, from Louisiana, spent more than three decades at the company and was the one who alerted aviation authorities in 2017 about what he said were potentially “catastrophic” safety failures.
His family said in a statement on Monday that the man had tried to voice his serious concerns, but was met with "a culture of concealment" that valued "profit over safety."
John Barnett.Courtesy of the Barnett family
Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal said in a statement Monday that Barnett died Saturday “from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound” in the South Carolina city.
Charleston police spokesman Sergeant Anthony Gibson also said in another statement Monday that the department had "not received any indication from the coroner's office that foul play is suspected in this case."
In a later statement, he noted the coroner's preliminary findings and added that detectives “are actively investigating this case and awaiting the formal cause of death, along with any additional findings that may shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the death.” of Mr. Barnett.”
The statement from Barnett's family claimed that
he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder
and anxiety attacks and that the "hostile work environment at Boeing" caused his death.
In a statement Monday, Boeing said: “We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Barnett, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
NBC News has asked the company to comment on the allegations contained in the Barnett family's statement.
Barnett, known as Mitch to his family and
Swampy
to his friends, had worked at Boeing's 787 plant in Charleston, South Carolina, since 2010, his family added.
The New York Times interviewed several former Boeing employees in 2019 about their safety concerns.
Barnett told the newspaper that pieces of metal could potentially cut the wiring connecting the flight controls.
In 2017, the FAA ordered Boeing to clean them from Dreamliners.
The company stated at that time that it was aware of what happened and that it would seek to improve the design, but also indicated that it was not a flight safety problem.
But Barnett assured the newspaper: “I have yet to see a plane out of Charleston that I could say is safe and airworthy.”
Following his retirement in 2017, Barnett filed a complaint with federal regulators about his experiences at the South Carolina plant.
He also initiated a separate legal action against Boeing, accusing the company of denigrating his character and hindering his career.
The company denied the allegations.
[United Airlines finds loose screws on several Boeing 737 Max 9s that were recalled]
According to the family statement, the trial was scheduled for June: “He was looking forward to his day in court and hoped it would force Boeing to change its culture.”
Although Barnett loved his job for most of his career, in Charleston he “learned that senior management was pressuring quality inspectors and managers to make cuts” and not follow safety processes required by law. , the statement stated.
He alleged that staff were pressured not to document defects because it would slow down the assembly line.
“John told us that every day was a battle to get management to do the right thing,” the family stated.
The statement added that Barnett and others who pointed out problems were labeled “troublemakers,” whereas previously the company rewarded those who discovered defects.
“It caused John so much stress that his doctor told him that
if he stayed he would have a heart attack
,” the family added.
“Mitch was fun-loving, and totally dedicated to family,” read an obituary shared by the family.
The letter added that he is survived by his mother, Vicky Melder Stokes;
his brothers, Mike Barnett, Robbie Barnett and Rodney Barnett;
eight nieces and nephews and 11 great-nephews.
News of his death comes as Boeing faces public and regulatory scrutiny over a series of incidents involving its planes.
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation after the failure in January of a door stopper on an Alaska Airlines flight, which caused the temporary immobilization of some Boeing 737 Max 9, although they have since returned to flight.
Just on Monday, 50 people were injured on a Boeing Dreamliner plane after a sudden movement in mid-flight, on a trip from Sydney to Auckland (New Zealand).
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