A Boeing whistleblower was found dead in his truck in the U.S. state of South Carolina on Mar. 9, 2024.

John Barnett was a former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the company's production quality standards, according to the BBC.

Boeing said it was saddened by Barnett's passing, and their thoughts are with his family and friends.

While police are still investigating the case, the Charleston County coroner's office said in a statement that Barnett passed away from what appeared to be a "self-inflicted" wound.

Had been giving evidence for a lawsuit against Boeing

The 62-year-old had worked in Boeing for 32 years before retiring in 2017, BBC reported.

Just days before, Barnett had been giving evidence for a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

He worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner since 2010.

Soon after starting work in South Carolina, Barnett grew concerned that pressure to get new aircrafts built was causing a rushed assembly process and safety of workers to be compromised.

He raised his concerns to Boeing's managers, but no action was taken.

Parts found from scrap bins fitted onto new planes

Barnett told the BBC that pressured workers would cut corners to meet deadlines, including fitting sub-standard parts found from scrap bins onto new planes to prevent delays on the assembly line.

These sub-standard parts would go missing on the production line due to workers' failure to follow procedures that help track components through the factory, Barnett claimed.

The company has denied the allegations.

A 2017 review conducted by U.S. regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said at least 53 "non-conforming" parts in the factory could not be found, adding credibility to Barnett's claims.

Boeing was ordered to take remedial action by the FAA.

A quarter of emergency oxygen systems failed

Barnett also told the BBC he uncovered serious problems with emergency oxygen systems in 2016, where a quarter of the 300 systems tested failed.

These systems were meant to deploy breathing masks for passengers in the event of a loss of oxygen within the cabin.

Boeing rebutted this allegation, stating while it found some defective oxygen systems, they were removed from production and not deployed on any aircraft, ABC reported.

Barnett was due to continue deposition

Barnett had been in Charleston in South Carolina to continue his lawsuit against the company.

He had accused Boeing of undermining his career because of the safety concerns he had raised at the North Charleston plant. Boeing rejected the charges.

He took legal action under AIR21, a U.S. act that protects whistleblowers in the aviation industry.

Barnett was questioned by Boeing's lawyers on Mar. 7, 2024, and was cross-examined by his lawyer Brian Knowles on Mar. 8.

On Mar. 9, Barnett was supposed to report for his third day of deposition, Knowles told Corporate Crime Reporter.

He did not show up nor respond to any phone calls.

Barnett's lawyers found him dead in his vehicle soon after.

Concerns over Boeing planes' defects grow

Boeing has faced intense scrutiny due to its plane defects in recent months.

An investigation by U.S.'s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) commenced after a cabin panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane blew off in midair in January 2024.

In a recent case on Mar. 11, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flying from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand apparently abruptly dropped "500 feet" (152m) mid-flight.

50 people onboard suffered injuries from the accident.

Helplines

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SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

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Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

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Top image via @Boeing/X