Another BOEING Whistleblower DIES; Joshua Dean, 44, 2nd Dead In 2 Month

The Hill
2 May 202409:57

Summary

TLDRA Boeing whistleblower, Joshua Dean, who filed complaints alleging manufacturing defects on the 737 Max and misconduct by senior quality management, has died suddenly from a fast-spreading infection at the age of 45. This follows the death of another whistleblower in recent months, raising concerns over increased scrutiny of the company. Journalist Corey Doo reports on a non-union shop in South Carolina where defective parts from the 787 Dreamliner were secretly installed on operating aircraft. Lawmakers are advancing a bill that could undermine the Biden administration's promise of automatic refunds for canceled or delayed flights, a move that could be influenced by the airline industry's lobbying efforts. The situation highlights the potential dangers of corporate capture in the airline industry, the lack of consumer choice, and the need for stricter liability standards to ensure safety and accountability.

Takeaways

  • 📰 A Boeing whistleblower, Joshua Dean, who alleged manufacturing defects on the 737 Max, has died from a fast-spreading infection at the age of 45.
  • 🚫 This is the second whistleblower from Boeing to pass away in two months, raising concerns over increased scrutiny on the company.
  • 🔍 Dean had filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), alleging serious misconduct by senior quality management on the 737 production line.
  • 🤫 After being laid off, Dean also claimed that his termination was in retaliation for raising concerns about the company's manufacturing practices.
  • 🛫 Journalist Corey Doo reported on defective parts in a non-union shop where the 787 Dreamliner is manufactured, suggesting that some were secretly installed on operating aircraft.
  • 💸 Lawmakers have advanced a bill that could undermine President Biden's promise of automatic refunds for canceled or delayed flights, affecting consumer rights.
  • 🏛️ The lawmakers advancing this legislation are among the top six Congressional recipients of campaign cash from the airline industry.
  • 💭 There are allegations that the culture within Boeing shifted towards prioritizing financial motives over safety and quality, especially after its merger with McDonnell Douglas.
  • ⚖️ The current system may not sufficiently penalize companies to deter them from cutting corners on safety, as the value of human life in legal terms is often subjective and lower than the cost of changing behavior.
  • 🛑 The whistleblower, John Barnett (referred to as 'Swampy'), had raised red flags about Boeing's practices but faced pushback, was fired, and was later found dead in what was alleged to be suicide.
  • 🤔 The transcript raises questions about the lack of consumer choice, monopolistic practices in the airline industry, and the influence of corporate lobbying on regulatory policy.

Q & A

  • What is the significance of the death of the Boeing whistleblower, Joshua Dean?

    -Joshua Dean's death is significant because he was a whistleblower who alleged serious manufacturing defects and misconduct in the production of the 737 Max by Spirit leadership. His death raises concerns about the safety and integrity of the aircraft manufacturing process and the treatment of whistleblowers in the industry.

  • What was the nature of the complaint filed by Joshua Dean with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)?

    -Joshua Dean filed a complaint with the FAA alleging serious and gross misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line, indicating a lack of adherence to safety and quality standards.

  • Why did Joshua Dean file a complaint with the Department of Labor?

    -Dean believed that his termination from Spirit Aerosystems was a form of retaliation for raising concerns about the company's manufacturing practices, which led him to file a complaint with the Department of Labor.

  • What is the issue with the 787 Dreamliner manufactured in Charleston, South Carolina?

    -There are allegations that a non-union shop in Charleston, where the 787 Dreamliner is manufactured, had a cage full of defective parts that were secretly pulled and installed on operating aircraft, raising serious safety concerns.

  • What is the proposed legislation that could undermine Biden's promise of automatic refunds on canceled or delayed flights?

    -The proposed legislation, advanced by lawmakers who oversee aviation policy, could potentially reimpose the previous cumbersome process for passengers to request refunds, undermining the new rule announced by the Biden Administration that promised automatic refunds.

  • Which lawmakers are involved in advancing the legislation that could affect airline refund policies?

    -The lawmakers involved are Republican Senator Ted Cruz, Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, Democratic Representative Rick Larsen, and Republican Representative Sam Graves, all of whom are among the top recipients of campaign contributions from the airline industry.

  • What was the cultural shift that occurred when Boeing merged with McDonald Douglas?

    -The merger led to a significant cultural shift within Boeing, where the company moved from a focus on high-quality engineering and safety to a profit-driven approach, prioritizing financial motives over quality and safety.

  • How did the new Boeing culture affect the company's quality inspections?

    -The new culture led to Boeing convincing the government to allow the company to conduct its own quality inspections, which resulted in Boeing essentially checking its own work, increasing the potential for oversights and safety violations.

  • What was the role of John Barnett, the previous whistleblower?

    -John Barnett, also known as 'Swampy,' was part of Boeing's old guard and was responsible for conducting quality checks. He raised red flags about the use of defective parts, faced pushback, was fired, and was later found dead under circumstances that suggest he may have taken his own life.

  • How does the lack of competition in the market affect the airline industry?

    -The lack of competition, with Boeing being the last American plane manufacturer, limits consumer choice and can lead to a monopoly where companies are not incentivized to prioritize safety and quality due to the absence of market competition.

  • What are the implications of the courts not penalizing companies sufficiently for safety violations?

    -If courts do not impose penalties that are significant enough to outweigh the costs of safety violations, companies may continue to cut corners and prioritize profits over safety, leading to a disregard for human life and well-being.

  • Why is it difficult to hold companies accountable for safety violations in the airline industry?

    -It is challenging to hold companies accountable due to the difficulty in proving liability and causation, especially in cases where the consequences, such as health issues, may not manifest until years after the incident.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Boeing Whistleblower's Death and Manufacturing Concerns

The first paragraph discusses the death of Joshua Dean, a Boeing whistleblower who had previously alleged that there were serious manufacturing defects on the 737 Max and that Spirit leadership had ignored these issues. Dean, a quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, died from a fast-spreading infection at the age of 45. He had filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Labor, alleging misconduct and retaliation, respectively. The paragraph also touches on allegations of defective parts being used in aircraft production, as reported by Corey Doo, and the potential impact on flight safety. Additionally, it mentions a bill that could affect the refund policy for canceled or delayed flights, which could undermine a recent promise by the Biden Administration to streamline the refund process for passengers.

05:01

🛫 The Consequences of Boeing's Shift in Culture and Accountability

The second paragraph delves into the implications of Boeing's cultural shift following its merger with McDonnell Douglas in the late 90s, which led to a focus on financial motives over safety and quality. It discusses the case of John Barnett, another whistleblower who was allegedly part of the 'Old Guard' at Boeing and faced pushback for raising safety concerns. The paragraph highlights the issue of defective parts being used in aircraft, despite being marked for discarding, and the potential risks this poses to flight safety. It also addresses the broader topic of corporate liability and the lack of consumer choice due to Boeing's monopoly as the last American plane manufacturer. The discussion extends to the role of government in regulating the industry and the influence of corporate lobbying on legislation, as well as the difficulty in assigning a monetary value to human life in the context of legal penalties for corporate negligence.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Boeing whistleblower

A whistleblower is an individual who exposes unethical or illegal practices in an organization, often risking their job or personal safety to do so. In the context of the video, a Boeing whistleblower alleged that there were manufacturing defects on the 737 Max, which is a significant aviation safety issue. The whistleblower's death adds to the controversy and raises questions about the integrity of Boeing's safety practices.

💡Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems is a major supplier of aerostructures for commercial and military aircraft, including components for Boeing's 737 Max. The company is mentioned in the video as the employer of Joshua Dean, the whistleblower who died, highlighting the role of suppliers in the overall safety and quality of aircraft production.

💡Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The FAA is the U.S. government agency responsible for regulating civil aviation. In the video, it is mentioned that the whistleblower, Joshua Dean, filed a complaint with the FAA alleging serious misconduct by senior quality management on the 737 production line. This indicates the critical role of the FAA in ensuring aviation safety through oversight and regulation.

💡Manufacturing defects

Manufacturing defects refer to flaws or errors in the production process that can compromise the quality and safety of a product. The video discusses allegations of such defects on the Boeing 737 Max, which are of grave concern due to the potential for these defects to affect flight safety.

💡Department of Labor

The Department of Labor is a federal department that oversees various aspects of the American workforce, including workplace safety and fair labor practices. Joshua Dean filed a complaint with the Department of Labor, claiming his termination was retaliation for raising safety concerns, which is a significant legal and ethical issue in the context of the video.

💡787 Dreamliner

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a wide-body, long-haul, and mid-size airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is mentioned in the video in relation to reports of defective parts being used in its production, which raises serious concerns about the aircraft's airworthiness and the safety culture at Boeing.

💡

💡Legislation

Legislation refers to the process of making or enacting laws by a legislative body. The video discusses a bill being advanced by lawmakers that could undermine the Biden administration's promise of automatic refunds for canceled or delayed flights, which is a significant issue for consumer rights and the airline industry.

💡Campaign cash

Campaign cash refers to the funds donated to political campaigns, often from various industries, including the airline industry. The video mentions the influence of campaign cash on lawmakers' decisions, suggesting a potential conflict of interest and the power of lobbying in shaping aviation policy.

💡Corporate corruption

Corporate corruption involves dishonest or illegal practices within a corporation, often for financial gain. The video discusses the potential for corporate corruption at Boeing, where there are allegations of defective parts being used in aircraft production, which could have serious implications for public safety.

💡Liability protection

Liability protection refers to legal safeguards that limit a company's responsibility for damages or injuries caused by its products or actions. The video suggests that without adequate liability protection, companies may not have sufficient incentive to prioritize safety over profits, which is a critical issue in the context of aviation safety.

💡Monopoly

A monopoly is a situation where a single company dominates an entire market, leaving no room for competition. The video discusses the monopoly of Boeing as the last American plane manufacturer, which may limit consumer choice and potentially contribute to a lack of accountability for safety and quality standards.

Highlights

A Boeing whistleblower who alleged manufacturing defects on the 737 Max has suddenly died. This is the second Boeing whistleblower to have died in the last two months.

Joshua Dean, a quality auditor at supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died at just 45 years old from a fast-spreading infection.

Dean had previously filed a complaint with the FAA alleging serious misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line.

Dean was laid off last year and filed a complaint with the Department of Labor alleging retaliation for raising concerns about the company's manufacturing plant.

Journalist Corey Doo reports that in a non-union shop in South Carolina where the 787 Dreamliner is manufactured, there's a cage full of defective parts that have been pulled from production.

Hundreds of those parts were secretly pulled from that cage and installed on operating aircraft.

Lawmakers have advanced a bill that could undermine President Biden's promise of automatic refunds on canceled or delayed flights.

The Biden administration announced a new rule last week promising automatic refunds if airlines cancel or significantly delay flights.

Four members of Congress who oversee aviation policy have started advancing legislation that could potentially reimpose the cumbersome refund process on passengers.

These lawmakers are among the six largest Congressional recipients of campaign cash from the airline industry in the current election cycle.

Boeing's culture shifted radically when it merged with McDonnell Douglas in the late 90s, becoming more financially motivated at the expense of safety and quality.

The new Boeing convinced the government to let it do its own quality inspections, rather than having them outsourced to the FAA.

This culture led to Boeing employees cheating on quality inspections, with the last whistleblower, John Barnett, being fired for raising red flags.

The parts that were discarded and had big permanent red marks ended up integrated into planes currently in the sky.

There is no real market efficiency when assessing the value of a life, with courts often not penalizing companies sufficiently to change behavior.

Stricter liability standards are needed as it's difficult to prove liability and causation, and many companies get off the hook.

Boeing is the last American plane manufacturer, creating a monopoly and eliminating consumer choice.

The government is heavily entangled with Boeing, relying on it for both commercial and military planes.

Transcripts

00:04

a Boeing whistleblower who alleged

00:06

Spirit leadership had ignored

00:08

manufacturing defects on the 737 Max has

00:11

suddenly died this is the second Boeing

00:14

whistleblower to have died in the last

00:16

two months as the company has come under

00:18

increased scrutiny The Seattle Times

00:20

first reported that Joshua Dean a

00:22

quality auditor at supplier Spirit Aeros

00:25

systems died Tuesday at just 45 years

00:28

old from a fast spread infection Dean

00:31

had previously filed a complaint with

00:32

the Federal Aviation Administration

00:34

alleging there was quote serious and

00:36

gross misconduct by senior quality

00:39

management of the 737 production line

00:42

Dean was laid off last year and filed a

00:44

complaint with the Department of Labor

00:46

alleging that his termination was

00:48

retaliation for raising concerns about

00:50

the company's manufacturing plant the

00:53

news comes as journalist and activist

00:55

Corey Doo reports that in a non-union

00:57

shop in Charleston South Carolina where

01:00

going 787 Dreamliner is manufactured

01:02

there's a cage full of defective parts

01:05

that have been pulled from production

01:06

because they are not airworthy drro

01:09

reports that hundreds of those parts

01:11

were secretly pulled from that cage and

01:13

installed on operating aircraft and

01:16

other airline news lawmakers Advanced a

01:19

bill that could undermine Biden's

01:20

promise of automatic refunds on canceled

01:23

or delayed flights according to new

01:25

reporting by the lever for context the

01:27

Biden Administration announced a new

01:28

rule last week the promise if Airlines

01:31

cancel or significantly delay flights

01:33

passengers will automatically be given

01:35

their money back without having to go

01:36

through the cumbersome process of

01:38

requesting it now just days later though

01:40

four members of Congress Who oversee

01:43

Aviation policy started advancing

01:45

legislation that could potentially

01:46

reimpose the cumbersome process on

01:48

Passengers The Catch these lawmakers for

01:51

the six largest Congressional recipients

01:53

of campaign cash from the airline

01:55

industry in the current election cycle o

01:59

lever the lever names of the lawmakers

02:01

Republican senator Ted Cruz Democratic

02:02

senator Maria canwell Democratic

02:05

representative Rick Larsson and

02:06

Republican representative Sam Graves a

02:09

bipartisan effort there as always look

02:12

exactly the news that Biden had managed

02:15

to do something that was just good news

02:17

for consumers not having us be hamstrung

02:21

by corporations and having to jump

02:22

through all these hoops to get

02:24

reimbursed for when the airline messes

02:26

up and causes some delay in our flight

02:28

plans was the kind of frankly basic

02:32

populist program that I think could

02:34

really help a candidate who wasn't quite

02:37

as mired in the mck as Joe Biden is

02:39

generate some positive Goodwill in the

02:42

public now it seems like that's not even

02:44

going to happen specifically because of

02:46

the lobbying efforts of the airline

02:48

industry capturing enough members of

02:50

Congress to try to overturn this basic

02:53

Common Sense sort of a rule what do you

02:55

make about the death of yet

02:57

another whistleblower type person um

03:01

frustrated former employee obviously

03:03

losing your job is a is a difficult um

03:07

experience that can exacerbate your you

03:10

know bad Health outcome something like

03:12

that so maybe it's just a coincidence

03:14

but obviously we talked about the um

03:17

serious to many uh people circumstances

03:19

of the death of the other whistleblower

03:21

who uh believed to have killed himself

03:23

yes so and this is what Cory do was

03:25

writing about and I strongly encourage

03:27

people to read this entire article so

03:29

the the allegation here is that there

03:32

was a cage of parts that had been marked

03:35

as defective they the when when parts

03:37

are pulled from a plane and put into

03:39

this cage they're permanently marked so

03:41

there can be absolutely no confusion and

03:43

they will not be reintegrated into

03:44

Airline shouldn't they just throw those

03:46

away what this what this well that's a

03:48

really good question what uh Corey uh

03:51

runs through in this piece is how the

03:52

culture of Boeing shifted radically when

03:55

it merged with uh McDonald Douglas in

03:57

the late 90s uh was known for its

04:01

culture at that Aviation firm of being

04:04

extremely um driven by pure Financial

04:07

motives whereas Boeing had historically

04:09

been known for having really high

04:10

quality engineers and making really high

04:13

quality planes Donald Douglas o

04:15

ownership was very frustrated with it

04:17

with this and apparently we're calling

04:18

all of these very U knowledgeable and

04:20

capable Engineers um you know H hyper

04:23

talented a-holes or something like that

04:25

and wanted to get rid of them and was

04:26

frustrated by the fact that they kept

04:28

gumming up their ability to to Simply

04:30

use the you know prioritize the profit

04:32

motive over safety or quality okay cut

04:35

two that you know that that's the that's

04:37

the circumstances you're cut to now we

04:38

have this big cage of parts that are

04:40

supposed to be offloaded forever one of

04:42

the things that the new Boeing was

04:44

managed to do is to convince the

04:46

government that it should do its own

04:48

quality inspections not have it

04:50

outsourced to the FAA at that point

04:53

you're basically in charge of reviewing

04:56

your own checking your own work which an

04:58

institution like the the new culture of

05:00

Boeing in the new culture of Boeing is

05:02

obviously going to lead to people

05:03

cheating now here's where they messed up

05:05

the last whistleblower the one who's

05:07

alleged to have killed himself um uh

05:09

John Barnett who is nicknamed apparently

05:12

was swampy and he's referred to swampy

05:13

as swampy throughout uh uh Cory's

05:16

piece was one of the people who was was

05:19

assigned to do this checking and he was

05:20

not corrupt he was part of the Boeing

05:22

Old Guard so when he was Raising red

05:24

flags about these kinds of things there

05:26

was this enormous amount of push back he

05:27

was fired and cut to now we know that

05:29

he's being uh alleged to have killed

05:31

himself in the car but one of the

05:33

discoveries was that the parts that were

05:36

discarded and had big permanent red

05:37

marks of them ended up integrated into

05:40

God knows how many air air uh planes

05:43

that are currently in the sky right now

05:45

that is what's going on at boing this is

05:46

a huge bombshell realization and safety

05:50

and profits should not necessarily be

05:53

intention if the company is not shielded

05:57

from liability protection or like you

06:00

know in a in a purely Market operating

06:03

system if the product the plane whatever

06:05

is being delivered

06:07

is there's an incentive to have it be

06:10

nicer safer better more efficient so

06:13

that you want to fly on those planes or

06:15

people or the airlines want to buy those

06:17

planes or use those planes all all of

06:18

that stuff there's a market incentive

06:20

but if there's artificial

06:22

intervention that prevents uh an an

06:25

airline or the manufacturer of the

06:27

airplane from that Shields them from the

06:31

from the harms associated with having

06:33

sold people to a defective product then

06:35

you end up which is exactly what happens

06:37

in the airline industry that I mean

06:38

we're describing the total capture by

06:40

people in a regulatory sense in an

06:42

accountability sense then you get

06:44

distorted incentives and you get well we

06:46

can continue making defective planes and

06:48

we're not going to suffer any

06:49

consequence from it because what can

06:50

anyone do about it well corporate

06:51

corruption and the corruption of our po

06:53

of our politicians is certainly an issue

06:55

but the fact that there is no

06:56

alternative for the consumer because

06:57

it's Monopoly is also a really big

07:00

problem Boeing is the last American

07:02

plane manufacturer there's nowhere else

07:04

to go um and the inment of Boeing and

07:06

the government is so complete that you

07:09

do get the situation where of course

07:11

you're going they're very rich they're

07:12

very powerful they can buy off

07:14

politicians but also the government has

07:15

entangled itself in an investment and

07:17

Boeing providing it with a much needed

07:20

resource not just commercial planes but

07:22

military planes as well so there's a lot

07:26

going on here and I think people should

07:27

be raising questions about why it is

07:28

that these mergers were all owed to

07:29

happen to completely diminish the

07:31

ability for consumers to have real

07:33

Choice here um but moreover to your

07:36

point about um if the if the airline

07:40

companies were forced to internalize

07:41

their cost then they would be

07:42

incentivized to be Sav it's a good point

07:44

but the problem is that there is no

07:46

actual efficiency in the market when you

07:48

are making assessments about what the

07:50

value of a life is that's incredibly

07:53

subjected and what ends up happening is

07:55

courts don't ever penalize companies

07:57

sufficiently to make it not simply worth

07:59

their while to let people die and then

08:01

recoup you're not going to get a court

08:03

saying a human life is worth however

08:05

many billions of dollars it would take

08:07

for one of these airline companies to

08:09

actually change its Behavior I mean the

08:10

courts have said it's worth what 14

08:12

million or something like that that's

08:14

the number people I mean it depends on

08:17

they base it on your earning potential

08:18

and things like that so it varies from

08:20

person to person it's a cruel thing to

08:22

have to estimate but one of the problems

08:24

is and why some um law and economics

08:26

folks uh like a professor that I had in

08:28

fact in law school push for stricter

08:30

liability standards is because one it's

08:33

difficult often times to prove liability

08:34

and cause causation in the first place

08:36

and many people get off the hook that

08:37

way that's what happens with a lot of

08:39

these environmental cases right look at

08:40

East Palestine if someone gets cancer 10

08:42

years from now how can they really prove

08:44

that it's from something that happened

08:46

as opposed to the fact that cancer just

08:47

happens to folks sometimes yeah um so

08:49

that's a little different than the door

08:50

breaking off the plane and getting

08:51

sucked out of it sure but also there's

08:54

Al you know they can say I I did the

08:56

review I checked I followed all of the

08:58

rules and in terms of the now internal

09:01

Boeing checks that they're obliged to do

09:03

for safety so we if we if you follow the

09:06

rules this is part of what the

09:06

perniciousness around some of these hi

09:08

programs are they're not there to

09:10

actually create equality in the

09:11

workplace they're there to have

09:13

something that the companies can say I

09:15

checked this list off so you can't say I

09:16

was actually being discriminatory I did

09:18

everything I was supposed to do under

09:19

the law um so yeah a lot a lot of red

09:22

flags going off here I'm really grateful

09:24

for the lever to be continuing to cover

09:26

this and including specifically the um

09:29

Congressional corruption angle because

09:31

the names of the people that are

09:33

directly involved in doing something

09:34

like unwinding a really good finally

09:37

good policy from Joe Biden make it

09:39

easier for you to be reimbursed when you

09:41

have a flight canceled on you um they

09:43

can't even let us have the good small

09:45

things more Rising right after this

09:51

[Music]

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Verwandte Tags
Boeing ControversyWhistleblower DeathManufacturing Defects737 Max787 DreamlinerFAA ComplaintLabor RetaliationAircraft SafetyCorporate EthicsRegulatory CaptureConsumer Rights
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