Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead

TODAY

12 Mar 202403:20

Summary

TLDRFormer Boeing employee and whistleblower John Barnett has been found dead in an apparent suicide. Barnett had raised safety concerns about the company, claiming a hazardous safety culture and retaliation for his actions. The FAA has backed many of his concerns, and Boeing is now under increased scrutiny after a 787 incident injured dozens and a criminal investigation has been launched by the Justice Department following critical safety oversights. Boeing has failed 33 out of 89 FAA audits over a six-year period, with Spirit Aerosystems also failing multiple audits.

Takeaways

🚨 John Barnett, a former Boeing employee turned whistleblower, has been found dead in an apparent self-inflicted manner.
📜 Barnett had taken legal action against Boeing, alleging retaliation for raising safety concerns and describing a hazardous safety culture within the company.
🗓 Since leaving Boeing in 2017, Barnett had been vocal about the company's focus on schedule over safety, with internal issues being overlooked due to time constraints.
🛫 The FAA has released a report upholding many of Barnett's concerns regarding safety at Boeing.
💬 Boeing expressed condolences for Barnett's passing and extended their thoughts to his family and friends.
🛬 A Boeing 787 incident is mentioned, where the plane dropped abruptly mid-flight, injuring at least 50 passengers and crew members.
🚨 The Justice Department has initiated a criminal investigation into Boeing following a critical safety incident involving a 737 MAX 9 in January.
🔍 The NTSB determined that the plane left the Boeing factory without critical plugs in place and accused Boeing of failing to comply with its own quality control procedures.
📊 According to a slide presentation, Boeing failed 33 out of 89 FAA audits over a six-year period.
🛠️ Spirit AeroSystems, a supplier to Boeing, also failed multiple audits, with instances of improper practices such as using a hotel key card to check a door seal.

Q & A

Who is the whistleblower mentioned in the transcript?
-The whistleblower mentioned is John Barnett, a former Boeing employee.
What was the cause of John Barnett's death?
-John Barnett was found dead in what appears to be a self-inflicted manner in 2017.
What legal action did John Barnett take against Boeing after his departure?
-John Barnett took legal action against Boeing, claiming he was retaliated against for raising safety concerns and describing a safety culture issue within the company.
What was the main issue raised by John Barnett regarding Boeing's operations?
-John Barnett raised concerns about a safety culture at Boeing that prioritized schedule over addressing safety issues, with a quote mentioning the urgency to get planes done without time to worry about issues brought up.
What did the FAA's review uphold regarding Barnett's concerns?
-The FAA's review upheld many of Barnett's concerns about safety issues at Boeing.
How did Boeing respond to John Barnett's sudden death?
-Boeing expressed sadness over Mr. Barnett's passing and offered their thoughts for his family and friends.
What recent incident involving a Boeing aircraft is mentioned in the transcript?
-The recent incident mentioned is a 787 aircraft that apparently dropped abruptly mid-flight, injuring at least 50 passengers and crew members.
What is the Justice Department's involvement with Boeing?
-The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into Boeing following a blow-out door plug incident on a 737 MAX 9 in January.
What were the findings of the NTSB regarding the 737 MAX 9 incident?
-The NTSB determined that the plane left the Boeing factory without critical plugs in place and that Boeing failed to comply with its own quality control procedures.
What was revealed about Boeing's performance in FAA audits?
-Boeing failed 33 out of 89 FAA audits over a six-year period, according to a slide presentation.
What was the unusual incident involving Spirit Aerosystems during an audit?
-During an audit, mechanics were seen using a hotel key card to check a door seal, and in another case, liquid soap was applied as part of the fit-up process.
What is Boeing's response to the demand for a plan to address quality issues?
-Boeing stated that they are working on employment immediate changes and developing a comprehensive action plan to fix the quality issues.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Sudden Death of Whistleblower Amid Boeing Safety Concerns

The script discusses the sudden death of John Barnett, a former Boeing employee turned whistleblower. Barnett, who had raised safety concerns about the company, was found dead in what appears to be a self-inflicted manner. After leaving Boeing in 2017, he had taken legal action against the company, alleging retaliation for raising safety issues. He described a safety culture at Boeing that prioritized schedule over safety. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) backed many of Barnett's concerns. Boeing expressed condolences following his death and is currently under increased scrutiny due to recent incidents, including a 787 that dropped abruptly mid-flight, injuring passengers and crew members. The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into Boeing after a 737 MAX 9 was found with a critical door plug missing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that Boeing failed to comply with its own quality control procedures. The FAA has demanded a detailed plan from Boeing to address quality issues within 90 days. Additionally, Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems have failed multiple audits, with some instances of improper procedures being used.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Whistleblower

A whistleblower is an individual who exposes unethical or illegal practices within an organization. In the context of the video, John Barnett, a former Boeing employee, fits this definition as he raised concerns about safety issues at Boeing. His whistleblowing actions led to legal action against the company, alleging retaliation for speaking out about a safety culture he deemed problematic.

💡Safety Culture

Safety culture refers to the attitudes, values, behaviors, and practices that an organization develops towards health and safety. In the video, it is described as a hazard within Boeing, suggesting that the company prioritized schedules and deadlines over addressing safety concerns, which is a significant issue in the aviation industry.

💡FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the U.S. government body responsible for the regulation and oversight of civil aviation. The FAA's role is crucial in ensuring that aviation safety standards are met. In the video, the FAA released a report upholding many of John Barnett's concerns about Boeing's safety practices.

💡Boeing 787

The Boeing 787, also known as the Dreamliner, is a wide-body, long-haul aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In the video, an incident involving a Boeing 787 is mentioned where the plane apparently dropped abruptly mid-flight, injuring passengers and crew members.

💡Criminal Investigation

A criminal investigation is a process conducted by law enforcement to determine if a crime has been committed and to identify the perpetrator(s). In the context of the video, the U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into Boeing following a critical incident involving a 737 MAX 9, indicating serious concerns about the company's practices.

💡Quality Control Procedures

Quality control procedures are the processes and techniques used to ensure that products or services meet certain standards of quality. In the video, it is suggested that Boeing failed to comply with its own quality control procedures, leading to significant safety risks.

💡Audit

An audit is a systematic review of an organization's operations, often conducted by an external party, to assess its efficiency, effectiveness, and adherence to regulations or standards. In the video, Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, failed multiple FAA audits, highlighting serious concerns about their operations and safety practices.

💡Mechanics

Mechanics are professionals who service, repair, and maintain machinery, often specifically in the context of vehicles or aircraft. In the video, the actions of mechanics are called into question, as they were observed using a hotel key card to check a door seal and applying liquid soap as part of the fit-up process, suggesting a lack of adherence to proper procedures.

💡Schedule Pressure

Schedule pressure refers to the stress or urgency to complete tasks within a set timeline. In the context of the video, it is suggested that Boeing's focus on meeting schedules led to a neglect of safety concerns, as employees were discouraged from raising issues that would delay the completion of planes.

💡Legal Action

Legal action refers to the process of taking a case or dispute to a court of law. In the video, John Barnett took legal action against Boeing after he claimed to be retaliated against for raising safety concerns. This indicates that he sought legal recourse to address the alleged wrongdoing by the company.

💡Safety Concerns

Safety concerns refer to any potential risks or hazards that could lead to harm or danger. In the video, safety concerns are central to the narrative, as they were raised by John Barnett about Boeing's practices, leading to investigations and legal actions.

Highlights

Former Boeing employee turned whistleblower, John Barnett, found dead in an apparent self-inflicted manner.

Barnett had taken legal action against Boeing, alleging retaliation for raising safety concerns.

He described a safety culture at Boeing that prioritized schedule over addressing safety issues.

The FAA has released a report upholding many of Barnett's concerns regarding safety at Boeing.

Boeing expressed condolences for Barnett's passing and extended thoughts to his family and friends.

A 787 aircraft dropped abruptly mid-flight, injuring at least 50 passengers and crew members.

The cause of the strong movement on the flight remains unclear, according to the airline.

The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into Boeing following a blown-out door plug on a 737 MAX 9 in January.

The NTSB determined the plane left the Boeing factory without critical plugs in place.

Boeing was accused of failing to comply with its own quality control procedures.

Authorities are demanding a detailed plan from Boeing to fix quality issues within 90 days.

Boeing reportedly failed 33 out of 89 FAA audits over a six-year period.

Spirit Aerosystems also failed multiple audits, with one instance involving mechanics using a hotel key card to check a door seal.

In another case, auditors observed the application of liquid soap as part of the fit-up process.

Boeing stated they are making immediate changes and developing a comprehensive action plan in response to the issues.