BREAKING: Boeing Whistleblower FOUND DEAD After Stunning Testimony

Breaking Points
12 Mar 202410:22

Summary

TLDRThe transcript discusses the death of John Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower who had raised concerns about safety issues in Boeing's manufacturing processes. Barnett, a former 787 Dreamliner quality manager, claimed that substandard parts were being used and that there were problems with oxygen systems. His death, ruled as a suicide, occurred amidst his involvement in a lawsuit against Boeing and cooperation with federal law enforcement. The transcript also mentions a recent FAA audit revealing numerous problems in Boeing's 737 Max production and the company's ongoing criminal investigation by the Justice Department.

Takeaways

  • 🚨 A Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, who worked as a 787 Dreamliner quality manager, was found dead in an apparent suicide.
  • 🔍 Barnett had been raising concerns about Boeing for years, alleging that substandard parts were being used in aircraft production and that there were issues with oxygen systems.
  • 🛫 Before his death, Barnett was giving evidence in a lawsuit against Boeing and had recently spoken to TMZ about his concerns.
  • 🤝 Barnett's whistleblowing was a part of the FAA's examination in 2019 and he was actively involved in the most recent investigation into issues with Alaska Airlines.
  • 🛠️ The FAA found that Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, failed 33 of 89 audits during a six-week audit, revealing numerous quality control issues.
  • 🚫 Boeing denied Barnett's assertions, but a 2017 FAA review upheld some of his concerns, finding at least 53 non-conforming parts in the factory.
  • 💡 The issues at Boeing are tied to the financialization of the company, with a focus on shareholder value and profit over safety and quality.
  • 🏛️ The neoliberal era has seen regulatory bodies like the FAA defanged, with key functions handed off to the industries they are supposed to regulate, leading to self-certification by companies like Boeing.
  • 🌐 The societal root cause trends contributing to Boeing's issues include the financialization of companies and the defanging of regulatory bodies across administrations.
  • 📉 The situation at Boeing raises questions about the safety of air travel and the effectiveness of current regulatory practices in ensuring the public's safety.

Q & A

  • Who was John Barnett and what was his connection to Boeing?

    -John Barnett was a former employee who worked for Boeing for 32 years and retired in 2017. He became a whistleblower against the Boeing Corporation, exposing issues related to safety and quality control at the company.

  • What specific issues did John Barnett raise about Boeing's practices?

    -John Barnett raised concerns about the use of substandard parts on aircraft, serious problems with the oxygen systems on the 787 Dreamliner, and a culture at Boeing where quality was considered non-value added and overhead.

  • What was the outcome of the FAA's examination in 2019 that John Barnett was part of?

    -The FAA's examination in 2019, which John Barnett contributed to, investigated problems at Boeing, including those related to safety and quality control, though the transcript does not detail specific outcomes.

  • What shocking claim did John Barnett make about the oxygen systems on Boeing aircraft?

    -John Barnett claimed that the oxygen systems on Boeing aircraft were faulty, stating that only one in four oxygen masks would work in an emergency.

  • What allegations did John Barnett make about Spirit Aerosystems?

    -John Barnett alleged that during a visit to Spirit Aerosystems, he and his team found 300 defects in a section of a plane, some of which required engineering intervention. He suggested that quality inspection standards were being compromised.

  • How did Boeing reportedly respond to the issues raised by John Barnett?

    -Boeing denied all of John Barnett's assertions but faced scrutiny from the FAA, which found dozens of problems in the manufacturing process of the 737 Max jet and instances of non-compliance with quality control requirements.

  • What was the significance of the FAA's audit of Boeing's production of the 737 Max jet?

    -The FAA's audit revealed dozens of manufacturing process issues and non-compliance with quality control requirements, highlighting systemic problems within Boeing's production and quality assurance practices.

  • What are the broader societal trends that the transcript suggests have contributed to the issues at Boeing?

    -The transcript suggests that financialization and deregulation are broader societal trends contributing to Boeing's issues. This includes a focus on shareholder value over product quality and safety, and a regulatory environment that allows companies more self-oversight.

  • How did Boeing's corporate practices and regulatory environment contribute to the reported issues?

    -Boeing's focus on profit and shareholder value, along with a deregulatory environment where regulatory bodies like the FAA have handed off key oversight functions to industry, contributed to a culture where safety and quality were compromised.

  • What legal actions is Boeing facing as a result of these allegations and findings?

    -Boeing is facing a Justice Department investigation and potential criminal inquiry into its practices, particularly related to the Alaska Airlines incident and broader issues of safety and quality control within the company.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Boeing Whistleblower's Death Raises Concerns 🚨

The script discusses the death of John Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower, who was found dead in what is claimed to be a suicide. Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years and had been vocal about the company's alleged use of substandard parts and issues with oxygen systems in their aircraft. He had been providing evidence in a lawsuit against Boeing and had recently given an interview to TMZ with alarming claims about the company's practices. The script highlights the concerns around the safety and quality control issues at Boeing, especially regarding the 737 and 787 models, and the implications of these issues for the aviation industry and the company's reputation.

05:00

🛠️ Evidence Supports Whistleblower's Claims 🛠️

This paragraph details how some of John Barnett's claims were supported by evidence, as reported by the BBC. The FAA's 2017 review upheld some of his concerns, finding at least 53 non-conforming parts in the factory that were considered lost. Boeing was ordered to take remedial action. The company denied using non-conforming parts from the scrap heap, but the missing parts suggested the truth of Barnett's story. Regarding the oxygen cylinders, Boeing admitted to receiving defective bottles from suppliers but denied they were used on aircraft. The paragraph also discusses the timing of Barnett's death in relation to the Justice Department's criminal investigation into Boeing and the broader issues within the company, including its focus on shareholder value over safety and quality.

10:02

📉 The Decline of Boeing and Regulatory Failure 📉

The final paragraph of the script addresses the societal trends contributing to Boeing's decline in quality and safety. It discusses the financialization of the company, where profit and shareholder value take precedence over engineering excellence and product safety. The script also criticizes the deregulation trend across administrations, which has led to regulatory bodies like the FAA relying on companies to self-certify, resulting in a lack of independent quality control and safety inspections. The situation at Boeing is presented as a symptom of a wider problem in the corporate world and government regulation, where short-term gains are prioritized over long-term safety and quality.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Boeing Whistleblower

The term 'Boeing Whistleblower' refers to John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who became a vocal critic of the company's practices after retirement. Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years and, as a 787 Dreamliner quality manager, had firsthand knowledge of the company's operations. His whistleblowing included allegations of substandard parts being used in aircraft production and issues with oxygen systems. His death, ruled as a suicide, raised suspicions due to the timing and content of his recent testimony and interviews, as he was actively involved in legal proceedings against Boeing.

💡Substandard Parts

The term 'Substandard Parts' refers to components that do not meet the required quality or performance standards specified for their intended use. In the context of the video, it relates to allegations made by the whistleblower, John Barnett, who claimed that workers at Boeing's North Charleston plant were deliberately fitting such parts into aircraft on the production line. This raises serious concerns about the safety and reliability of the aircraft produced by Boeing.

💡Oxygen Systems

Oxygen systems in aircraft refer to the equipment and mechanisms designed to provide breathable air to passengers and crew in the event of a loss of cabin pressure or other emergency situations. The video discusses serious problems with Boeing's oxygen systems, as revealed by the whistleblower, indicating that a significant number of the breathing masks might not function properly during an emergency, posing a potential safety hazard.

💡Quality Manager

A 'Quality Manager' is a professional responsible for overseeing the quality control processes within an organization to ensure that products meet the required standards. In the context of the video, John Barnett had previously worked as a 730 787 Dreamliner quality manager at Boeing's North Charleston plant. His role would have involved ensuring that the aircraft produced were of the highest quality and met all safety regulations.

💡FAA Examination

The 'FAA Examination' refers to the inspections and audits conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that aviation companies comply with safety and regulatory standards. In the video, it is mentioned that Barnett was an integral part of the FAA's examination in 2019, which looked into the issues occurring at Boeing. This examination is crucial for maintaining public trust in the safety of air travel and holding aviation companies accountable for their products.

💡Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems is a company that supplies components to aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing. In the video, it is mentioned that there were serious concerns about the quality of parts provided by Spirit AeroSystems, with allegations of defects and improper use of materials. The company's practices came under scrutiny due to the whistleblower's claims and the subsequent FAA investigation.

💡Justice Department Investigation

The 'Justice Department Investigation' refers to a criminal probe initiated by the United States Department of Justice into potential wrongdoing by a company or individual. In the context of the video, Boeing is facing such an investigation following the whistleblower's allegations and the subsequent revelations about the company's practices. This type of investigation can lead to legal action and penalties if wrongdoing is found.

💡Financialization of Boeing

The term 'Financialization of Boeing' refers to the transformation of the company's focus from producing high-quality aircraft to追求 financial gains and meeting shareholder expectations. This shift in priorities is often associated with a decline in product quality and safety standards, as the company may prioritize cost-cutting and profit maximization over the traditional engineering and manufacturing excellence. In the video, it is suggested that this financial focus contributed to the safety issues and quality control problems at Boeing.

💡Neoliberal Era

The 'Neoliberal Era' refers to a period characterized by the adoption of neoliberal economic policies, which emphasize free-market capitalism, deregulation, and reduced government intervention in the economy. In the context of the video, it is mentioned that during this era, regulatory bodies like the FAA have been defanged, with key functions handed off to industries themselves, leading to a situation where companies like Boeing are largely left to self-regulate, potentially compromising safety standards.

💡Self-Certification

Self-certification is a process where a company is responsible for ensuring that its products meet regulatory standards without direct oversight from an external regulatory body. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a problematic practice where the FAA has delegated significant responsibilities to companies like Boeing, allowing them to self-certify their products. This can lead to lapses in quality control and safety, as companies may prioritize profits over compliance with safety regulations.

Highlights

Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in an apparent suicide.

Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years, retiring in 2017, and has since been a whistleblower against the company.

Before his death, Barnett was giving evidence in a lawsuit against Boeing.

Barnett was a 787 Dreamliner quality manager at Boeing's North Charleston plant.

He claimed that underpressure workers were fitting substandard parts to aircraft on the production line.

Barnett also reported serious problems with the aircraft's oxygen systems, with only one in four masks functioning in an emergency.

After starting work at Boeing, Barnett became concerned enough to leave and cooperate with law enforcement and federal whistleblowers.

He was an integral part of the FAA's examination in 2019 of problems at Boeing.

Barnett gave testimony in the most recent investigation into Alaska Airlines shortly before his death.

In an interview with TMZ, Barnett expressed concerns about the overall condition of the 737 and 787 aircraft.

Boeing started removing inspection operations in 2012, leading to mechanics buying off their own work.

A team of inspectors led by Barnett found 300 defects in a section of aircraft built by Spirit AeroSystems.

The FAA caught mechanics at Spirit AeroSystems using dish soap as lubricant for 737 Max door seals.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal inquiry into Boeing tied to the Alaska Airlines incident.

Boeing claims to have no record of the work done on the Alaska plane.

The FAA found dozens of problems in Boeing's production of the 737 Maxjet during a six-week audit.

Boeing failed 33 of 89 audits conducted by the FAA during the examination.

A report from the FAA in 2017 upheld some of Barnett's concerns, finding at least 53 non-conforming parts in the factory.

Boeing was ordered to take remedial action after the 2017 FAA review.

Spirit AeroSystems, a former part of Boeing, was sold off in pursuit of shareholder value and profit.

Boeing is now trying to buy back Spirit AeroSystems as it faces a major crisis and a Justice Department investigation.

The financialization of Boeing and the defanging of regulatory bodies like the FAA contributed to the company's safety and quality issues.

Transcripts

00:00

all right let's move on to the next part

00:01

here this is about Boeing uh I've been

00:03

wanting to cover this story for quite

00:04

some time and then some shocking

00:06

shocking news broke yesterday let's put

00:09

this up there on the screen a Boeing

00:11

whistleblower was actually found dead

00:14

here in the United States in what is

00:17

being claimed is an apparent suicide

00:19

John Barnett he had previously worked

00:21

for Boeing for 32 years he retired in

00:24

2017 and since then has spent his life

00:28

being a whistleblower against the Boeing

00:30

Corporation in fact in the days before

00:32

his death he was giving evidence in this

00:35

lawsuit against the company uh he was

00:38

actually found dead in h Charleston the

00:40

real uh thing that Mr Barnett had been

00:43

whistleblowing about is that he

00:44

previously worked as a 730 787

00:48

Dreamliner quality manager at the North

00:51

Charleston plant and he had specifically

00:53

told BBC and other outlets that

00:55

underpressure workers had been

00:56

deliberately fitting substandard parts

00:58

to aircraft on the production line and

01:01

he also said he had uncovered serious

01:03

problems with their oxygen systems

01:06

meaning that only one in four breathing

01:08

Mass would not work in an emergency so

01:10

soon after then starting work at that

01:12

South Carolina company became very

01:13

concerned eventually concerned enough to

01:15

leave and to cooperate with law

01:17

enforcement with Federal whistleblowers

01:19

he was an integral part actually of the

01:21

faa's examination back in 2019 of the

01:25

problems that were happening over at

01:27

Boeing and was giving testimony in their

01:29

most recent investigation into what the

01:31

hell happened with Alaska Airlines in

01:33

the days before his death he actually

01:35

gave an interview to TMZ with some

01:37

pretty shocking claims let's take a

01:39

listen one this is not a 737 problem

01:41

it's a bowling problem um and I know the

01:44

fa's gone in and they've done due

01:46

diligence and inspections to assure that

01:49

the door plugs of the 737 are are

01:52

installed properly and the Fasteners are

01:54

Tor properly but my concern is what's

01:57

the rest of the airplane what's the rest

01:59

of condition of the airplane and the

02:01

reason my concern for that is back in

02:05

2012 boing started removing inspection

02:08

operations off their jobs so it left the

02:11

mechanics to buy off their own work so

02:14

what we're seeing with the door plug

02:16

blowout

02:17

is what I've seen with the rest of the

02:21

airplane as far as Jobs not being

02:23

completed properly inspection of steps

02:26

being removed um issu is being ignored

02:31

my concerns are with the 737 and the 787

02:35

because those

02:36

programs have really embraced the theory

02:40

that quality is overhead and nonv value

02:43

added well I'd taken a team of four

02:45

inspectors to Spirit Aeros systems to

02:47

inspect the 41 section before they sent

02:49

it to Charleston and we found 300

02:52

defects some of them were significant

02:54

that needed engineering um

02:57

intervention um when I returned to

03:00

Charleston my senior manager told me we

03:02

had found too many defects and he was

03:04

going to take the next trip so the next

03:07

trip he went on he took two of my

03:09

inspectors and when they got back they

03:11

were given accolades for only finding 50

03:14

defects so I pulled that inspector aside

03:16

and I said did Spirit really clean up

03:19

their act that quick that don't sound

03:20

right yeah uh they certainly didn't and

03:22

in fact just yesterday Crystal there was

03:24

a new report from the FAA that they

03:27

caught Spirit Aeros systems mechanics

03:29

using liquid Dawn dish soap as lubricant

03:32

for that 737 Max door seal instead of

03:35

you know the proper

03:37

lubricant to use that's how they're

03:40

cutting costs um over there in Boeing

03:42

and that's why I mean there's been a lot

03:44

of Suspicion around Mr Barnett's death

03:47

because you can see he was pulling no

03:48

punches and this isn't this is

03:51

potentially a catastrophic event for

03:53

Boeing Boeing is most is most important

03:55

Aviation company in the United States

03:56

arguably in all of the West huge

03:58

military supply contract RoR Etc they

04:01

are now facing a Justice Department

04:03

investigation criminal investigation in

04:05

this matter and you know Alaska really

04:07

took every it took the wool I think out

04:09

of everybody's eyes on what's going on

04:11

with this company and how deep the rot

04:13

really goes inside yeah that's right

04:15

there's also news this morning that a

04:17

six week audit by the FAA of Boeing's

04:19

production of the 737 maxjet found

04:21

dozens of problems throughout the

04:23

manufacturing process according to a

04:25

slide presentation that the New York

04:26

Times was able to review they initiated

04:29

that examination after that door panel

04:31

flew off the agency announced the audit

04:33

had found multiple instances in which

04:35

Boeing and the supplier Spirit AOS

04:37

systems failed to comply with quality

04:39

control requirements um including the

04:41

company had failed 33 of 89 audits

04:45

during that examination conducted by the

04:49

FAA and um just to speak to you know the

04:52

claims that this whistleblower was in

04:54

the middle of making when he was found

04:57

dead in his vehicle in a parking lot lot

05:00

um some of these claims had really been

05:02

backed up by evidence according to the

05:04

BBC Boeing of course denied all his

05:06

assertions we should put that out there

05:08

but in 2017 they did a review by the FAA

05:11

and it did uphold some of his concerns

05:13

it established the location of at least

05:15

53 non-conforming Parts in the factory

05:18

was unknown and were considered lost

05:20

Boeing was order to take remedial action

05:22

that's relevant because he had said that

05:24

they were pulling uh Parts out of the

05:26

scrap Heap that had been rejected as

05:28

non-conforming and using them to save

05:31

time and cut costs Etc so the fact that

05:33

these non-conforming parts were missing

05:35

were indicative of you know his story

05:38

being accurate on the oxygen cylinders

05:40

issue the company said in 2017 it had

05:43

identified some oxygen bottles received

05:45

from the supplyer that were not

05:46

deploying properly but denied that any

05:48

of them were actually fitted on the

05:49

aircraft but of course he had indicated

05:51

that as many as one in four oxygen Mass

05:54

were unlikely to deploy because they

05:57

were uh defective upon testing so yeah

06:00

the fact that he was um you know in the

06:02

middle of uh making these complaints

06:05

making his voice heard and is found dead

06:08

is um extraordinary yeah it's it's

06:11

really suspicious and again let's put

06:13

this up there this is just days after uh

06:15

that the US justice department is now

06:18

opening a criminal inquiry into Boeing

06:20

this is tied to the Alaska Airlines

06:22

incident specifically Boeing also said

06:25

told a senate panel it cannot find

06:27

record of the work done on the Alaska

06:28

plane really

06:29

interesting can't find any record and I

06:32

just want to take it back to all of the

06:35

um I want to take it back to the rot of

06:36

this company because Spirit Aeros

06:38

systems used to be a part of Boeing and

06:40

it was sold off by Boeing in the pursuit

06:42

of shareholder ISM and of profit so now

06:44

what's happening now as they understand

06:46

that they're in deep Boeing is now

06:48

trying to Reby Spirit AOS systems and

06:51

now they're in a major crisis of the

06:52

company because they're fcing a Justice

06:55

Department investigation and I mean the

06:57

craziest part of all of this is that not

06:59

not even a few years ago they were found

07:02

liable and nearly faced a murder

07:04

prosecution for killing some what

07:06

several hundred people in a faulty

07:09

software update all of the fixes were

07:11

supposed to have been put in place now

07:13

they had a new CEO new corporate

07:15

practices but this tells you like it's

07:17

not the new CEO problem it's that the

07:19

company doesn't know how to build an

07:21

airplane anymore and that can't get over

07:25

it because this is the backbone of us

07:28

manufacturer

07:29

high-tech manufacturing specifically

07:31

it's one of the pride and joys of the US

07:33

economy and as usual you know over the

07:36

last 70 some or 40 30 40 years now since

07:39

the 1970s it turns out that it's all

07:41

just a financial fakery they hired Nikki

07:43

Haley on the board buying back tens of

07:46

billions of dollars worth of their own

07:47

stock the stock is doing great you know

07:49

before this even after the uh you know

07:51

crazy incident that's all they cared

07:53

about they never cared about this and

07:54

then it all just comes to head when a

07:57

freaking door plug blows out of the the

07:59

middle of the airplane lucky that it

08:01

didn't happen when they were cruising

08:02

altitude and several people would have

08:03

been sucked out and killed yeah yeah I

08:05

think there are two major societal root

08:09

cause trends that led to these

08:13

terrifying horrifying and in in certain

08:16

instances deadly um mistakes number one

08:20

is as you're discussing the

08:21

financialization of Boeing which is

08:23

something we see across companies what

08:24

does that mean it means rather than

08:26

caring about having the best engineers

08:28

and the best product and making sure

08:30

damn well sure that it is safe and ready

08:32

to go instead they were more focused on

08:35

catering to the giant casino that is

08:37

Wall Street so and that is not specific

08:39

to Boeing but obviously in the instance

08:41

of Boeing the results are absolutely

08:44

horrifying number two is a uh widespread

08:48

Trend across Democratic and Republican

08:50

administrations in the neoliberal era of

08:53

defanging regulatory bodies and handing

08:57

off some of their key functions to IND

08:59

industry itself so over successive

09:02

administrations including some very

09:04

recent deregulation under the Trump

09:06

Administration the FAA has basically

09:08

handed off a lot of its key functions to

09:11

relying on companies like Boeing to

09:12

basically

09:14

self-certify so I mean it sounds insane

09:16

but I'm not kidding this is the

09:18

direction that many government agencies

09:20

have gone in where they're not even

09:22

really capable of doing the sort of

09:25

quality control and safety inspections

09:27

that would be required to Ure that the

09:30

public is kept safe when they're flying

09:32

on one of these Jets it's handed off to

09:35

Industry so you have the fox watching

09:37

the hen house in this instance and many

09:39

others and so that's how you end up with

09:42

a situation like this where you know so

09:45

many things such sloppy work if the uh

09:48

testimony of this whistleblower this now

09:51

deceased whistleblower is accurate you

09:53

know just Total shoty Safety standards

09:55

commitment to the bottom line speed

09:58

saving cost above else and you know we

10:01

see where this leads to yeah no I think

10:03

you're exactly right crystal hey guys if

10:05

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10:14

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10:16

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Tags associés
BoeingWhistleblowerSafetyJohn Barnett737 Max787 DreamlinerQuality ControlFAA InvestigationCorporate AccountabilityRegulatory Failure
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