Safety
John Barnett, a former quality manager at Boeing, was found dead in the trunk of his pickup truck on Saturday. He took his own life, but according to his brother, the ‘hostile working environment’ at the American aircraft manufacturer led to his death.
When he could not reach John Barnett (62), his lawyer immediately smelled trouble. The American engineer was supposed to testify against his former employer Boeing on Saturday, but did not show up. Hotel staff found his lifeless body in the trunk of his Dodge Ram. Authorities said he shot himself.
According to his brother Rodney, Barnett was no longer himself in recent years. “He suffered from post-traumatic stress caused by the hostile work environment at Boeing,” it said. “That led to his death.” As a quality manager, Barnett was responsible for the safety of the latest Boeings for more than thirty years. He regularly reported what was loose and attached to the equipment, but received little response from his superiors.
No oxygen in crash
In 2017, Barnett filed a complaint against the company. Just days before he retired, he passed on his evidence and began a years-long legal battle against Boeing. His main accusations: the American aircraft manufacturer consistently put profits before the safety of its passengers, and the giant had undermined his career.
In 2019, Barnett opened up about the work culture in South Carolina on the British channel BBC. He said workers were so pressured to assemble quickly that they forgot key bolts and deliberately used substandard parts. Sometimes they even came from the scrap heap. Barnett had also discovered serious problems with the oxygen systems: one in four respirators would not work in an emergency.
Boeing denied the allegations, but an investigation by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), confirmed that Barnett was partly right. Yet that was apparently not a signal for the company to drastically change course, because five years after two fatal crashes it is still struggling with safety.
Numerous incidents
For example, a Boeing 737 Max lost a door panel in mid-flight in early January. “Engineers and technicians were so concerned that they tried to take the plane out of service and have it maintained,” writes The New York Times. On the day of the accident, an extensive check was planned in the evening.
Loose bolts were also discovered on other aircraft. And earlier this month, a United Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport after a Boeing 777 lost a tire shortly after takeoff. On Monday there was also an incident with a 787 Dreamliner that suddenly nosedived during a flight between Sydney and Auckland. Dozens of passengers were injured as a result. “I opened my eyes and I saw someone with his back going through the roof. It looked like The Exorcist,” a passenger testified about that flight.
The once reliable Boeing is now under even more scrutiny and says it is doing everything it can to be transparent. The company responded briefly to the death of their former employee: “We are deeply saddened by Barnett’s death. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Anyone who has questions about suicide or is struggling with dark thoughts can call the free number 1813 or visit www.zelfbloed1813.be.
