John Barnett’s fatal wounds were deemed ‘self-inflicted’ by a coroner (Picture: ABC News 4)
A former Boeing employee who was found dead during a court case against the aircraft manufacturer feared he could be killed, one of his friends has suggested.
John Barnett, 62, died from a ‘self-inflicted wound’ in South Carolina on Saturday, according to a state coroner.
He had recently spent two days giving evidence in his case and was due to attend a third round of hearings on the day he was found dead in his truck, which was parked at his hotel.
John’s close family friend, named only as Jennifer, told US broadcaster ABC News 4 he made a bleak prediction while discussing the lawsuit before the hearings began.
‘He wasn’t concerned about safety because I asked him,’ Jennifer explained.
‘I said, “Aren’t you scared?” And he said, “No, I ain’t scared, but if anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.”‘
Jennifer added: ‘I know that he did not commit suicide. There’s no way. He loved life too much.
The airline and one of its main supplier are under scrutiny for safety issues (Picture: Getty)
‘He loved his family too much. He loved his brothers too much to put them through what they’re going through right now.’
Jennifer said she believes someone ‘didn’t like what he had to say’ and wanted to ‘shut him up’ without repercussions.
‘That’s why they made it look like a suicide,’ Jennifer said. She did not name the target of her suspicions.
Police in Charleston, where John died, are investigating his death, though there is no indication of any third-party involvement.
John was in the middle of several days of court hearings
Barnett had worked at Boeing for 32 years, spending seven years as a quality manager at its North Charleston plant before retiring in 2017.
The plant is used to assemble the 787 Dreamliner, which is mainly used for long-haul routes.
In 2019 he told the BBC that overworked staff had been deliberately fitting planes with sub-standard parts.
Among other allegations, he also claimed to have discovered serious problems with oxygen systems which indicates one in four breathing masks might not work in an emergency.
Barnett filed a whistleblower claim against the company alleging bosses retaliated against him for reporting the alleged defects.
Boeing denied the claims, though a federal investigation found 50 ‘non-conforming parts’ had been lost in the company’s system.
An investigation is underway to find out why a 737 cabin door panel blew off mid-flight earlier this year (Picture: Reuters)
The aviation giant and its key supplier, Spirit Aerosystems, have come under scrutiny over production standards.
The US Justice Department is currently investigating an incident in January in which a 737 MAX 9 cabin door panel blew out mid-flight.
A preliminary finding stated four bolts meant to secure the panel had been removed at Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week said it ‘found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements’.
It also said it ‘identified non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control’.
Boeing says it is cooperating ‘fully and transparently’ with the authorities (Picture: Flickr Vision)
Boeing was previously ordered to pay out $200 million for making misleading claims about safety issues related to two crashes involving 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019 which killed 346 passengers.
None of those aircraft are made at the plant where Barnett worked, though a 787 Dreamliner was involved in an incident which injured passengers on Monday.
Five people were hospitalised and 50 were treated at the scene after the plane dipped violently during a LATAM flight from Australia to New Zealand.
Boeing has said it is cooperating ‘fully and transparently’ with the ongoing investigation.
The company previously said of John’s death: ‘We are saddened by Mr Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.’
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