The family of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who police say died by suicide on Saturday, says a “hostile work environment” is to blame for his death.
“He was deeply concerned about the safety of the aircraft and flying public, and had identified some serious defects that he felt were not adequately addressed,” Barnett’s family said in a statement. “He said that Boeing had a culture of concealment and was putting profits over safety.”
Relatives said employees who refused to cut corners were “labeled as trouble makers, retaliated against, and subjected to a hostile work environment,” and that Barnett was “suffering from PTSD and anxiety attacks” as a result of being subjected to such treatment.
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Barnett had been due in court to give testimony in his whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing, but alarm bells went off when he failed to show. After his attorneys called in a welfare check, police said he was eventually discovered inside a pickup truck parked at his Charleston hotel’s parking lot with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
His attorneys say he never gave “any indication he would take his own life” in the days leading up to his death.
In a joint statement texted to The Daily Beast, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles said Barnett, 62, was in “very good spirits” and excited to complete a deposition in his case against the company. They added that Barnett was in “really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on.”
Now Turkewitz and Knowles are calling on police in South Carolina to launch a thorough investigation into Barnett’s death, suggesting there may be more at play.
“John was a brave, honest man of the highest integrity,” the statement said. “He cared dearly about his family, his friends, the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers, and the pilots and people who flew on Boeing aircraft. We have rarely met someone with a more sincere and forthright character.”
They continued: “We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned.”
There has been no suggestion from authorities that foul play was a factor in Barnett’s death. Charleston police did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday night.
Barnett’s passing comes on the heels of a rough stretch for Boeing amid issues with its 737 Max jets.
Barnett had filed a complaint against Boeing with the U.S. Labor Department in 2017, alleging Boeing retaliated against him for raising concerns about quality issues at a factory in his role as a quality manager.
Those concerns had merit, the Federal Aviation Administration determined after an investigation into the airline giant’s manufacturing was launched because of Barnett’s public pleas. He told The New York Times in 2019 that he was yet to see a plane leave Boeing’s factory in Charleston that he’d “put my name on saying it’s safe and airworthy.”
Barnett’s concerns were amplified after a pair Boeing 737 Max 8 jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, and again after a fuselage panel blew out on a Max 9 flight operated by Alaska Airlines earlier this year. Since that incident, federal investigators have found “dozens of issues” on other Boeing jets, the agency announced Monday.
In a statement to the BBC, Boeing said it was “saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing and our thoughts are with his family.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
