[AltoLXI]

John Barnett who worked for Boeing for more than 30 years was found dead.

In 2019, Mr Barnett told the BBC that under-pressure workers had been deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line.

He also said he had uncovered serious problems with oxygen systems, which could mean one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency.

He said soon after starting work in South Carolina he had become concerned that the push to get new aircraft built meant the assembly process was rushed and safety was compromised, something the company denied.

He later told the BBC that workers had failed to follow procedures intended to track components through the factory, allowing defective components to go missing.

He said in some cases, sub-standard parts had even been removed from scrap bins and fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays on the production line.

He also claimed that tests on emergency oxygen systems due to be fitted to the 787 showed a failure rate of 25%, meaning that one in four could fail to deploy in a real-life emergency.

Link

The family says it was due to anxiety attacks in workplace.

The family says Barnett's health declined because of the stresses of taking a stand against his longtime employer.

"He was suffering from PTSD and anxiety attacks as a result of being subjected to the hostile work environment at Boeing," they said, "which we believe led to his death."

Link

[GForceEnjoyer]

The timing of this is intriguing. Death from a "self-inflicted wound" in his truck before the man was supposed to provide further evidence to his claims seems strange, right?

Anyways, his claims, if true, are alarming, especially considering Boeing's foothold in commercial aviation. Ever since the 737 MAX MCAS incidents, there seems to have been a constant stream of mishaps, from panels blowing out mid-flight to passengers suffering injuries due to a plane "just dropping mid-flight": the news I've been reading about Boeing hasn't exactly been reassuring.

Here's a related article.

May the man rest in peace.

This seems to fit in alarmingly well with the impacts on whistleblowers in the US of their whistleblowing, as researched by this paper from 2012.

The following is from a survey of some 233
whistleblowers in the US (McMillan, 1990).
• 90% lost their jobs or were demoted
• 27% faced lawsuits
• 25% got into difficulties with alcohol
• 17% lost their homes
• 15% were divorced
• 10% attempted suicide
• 8% went bankrupt.

The paper in question: https://www.bmartin.cc/dissent/docum...nane_what2.pdf

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

The timing of this is intriguing. Death from a "self-inflicted wound" in his truck before the man was supposed to provide further evidence to his claims seems strange, right?

.

There is a lot to digest here and this John Oliver video is quite good to get the basics.

https://youtu.be/Q8oCilY4szc?si=fOcLi-dQ0c6SLied

All in all, Boeing is far from fixing itself and this whistle blower death now starts to smell of a conspiracy.

[Gansan]

My son flies between Hyderabad and Chennai frequently. I have told him recently to fly only by Airbus or ATR 72, and to avoid airlines that fly only the B 737. Even the older versions.

[Simha.k]

Oh America! The land of freedom, liberty, democracy, free and fair. Yeah, right!

Narcotraffickers, corrupt politicians, murderers, defectors are all given asylum in the name of "witness protection". But a whistle blower ends up dead. Just no words.

And it is the same country that pokes nose in every government on the planet.