"Dream - John Barnett (62), a former Boeing employee who voiced concerns about the production standards of his company, was found dead in the United States (US). As reported by Aljazeera, Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years until his retirement in 2017. Several days before his death, he had provided evidence in his lawsuit against the company."

Unknown cause of death of Barnett, but it is highly suspected that he died by suicide. Since 2010, Barnett worked as a quality manager at the Boeing factory in North Charleston, which manufactures the 787 Dreamliner, an advanced aircraft widely used for long-haul flights. In 2019, Barnett publicly stated that workers, under pressure, intentionally installed substandard parts on aircraft during production.

"He admitted concerns that the urge to create a new aircraft would result in a rushed assembly process, compromising safety. Boeing has denied these allegations. Barnett then stated that the workers had failed to follow the intended procedures to track components in the factory, leading to the loss of damaged components."

"He mentioned that there are several cases where substandard spare parts are removed from the trash and installed on aircraft being assembled to prevent production delays. He also claimed that testing on the emergency oxygen system to be installed on the 787 showed a failure rate of 25%."

"Barnett said that he had warned the managers about his concerns, but he claimed that no action had been taken. Boeing also denied Barnett's statement. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) review in 2017 confirmed some of Barnett's concerns."

Last week, he has given an official statement in which he was questioned by Boeing's lawyer, before being examined by his own lawyer. Barnett was also scheduled for further examination last Saturday, but did not appear, leading to an investigation being conducted at his hotel.

"He was later found dead in his car in the hotel parking lot. Attorney Barnett described his client's death as something tragic. 'We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Barnett, and our condolences go out to his family and friends,' Boeing said in its statement."

This follows an incident in early January when the unused emergency exit door suddenly detached from the Boeing 737 Max aircraft shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport. Initial reports from the US National Transportation Safety Board indicate that four key bolts designed to secure the door were not installed.