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A whistleblower at the very heart of a major legal showdown with Boeing has been found dead. The individual, John Barnett, had a reputation in aviation for calling out Boeing’s subpar safety standards and faulty parts. What’s particularly curious about Mr. Barnett’s death is the manner of death: “suicide.” Collin Rugg, the co-founder of Trending Politics, shared a recent video from Mr. Barnett. Watch it and tell us, does this man sound “suicidal” to you?

Collin Rugg:

NEW: 62-year-old Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in his truck after he didn’t show up for a legal interview linked to a case against Boeing.

Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years and retired in 2017. After retiring, Barnett spoke out about how Boeing was cutting corners on their airplanes.

Just days before his death, Barnett gave evidence in a lawsuit against Boeing.

Barnett accused Boeing of “deliberately fitting sub-standard parts” on their aircraft.

He also accused Boeing of having faulty oxygen systems, saying one in four breathing masks would *not* work in an emergency situation.

Barnett said new plane builds were rushed. When he brought his concerns forward, they were allegedly ignored by the company.

When he died, Barnett was in Charleston for interviews linked to a case against Boeing.

He was supposed to come back for more questioning on Saturday but did not show up. Inquiries were made to his hotel where Barnett was found dead in his car in the parking lot.

Police are investigating Barnett’s death but say he died from a “self-inflicted” wound.

The video below was a recent interview Barnett had with TMZ.

Totally normal.

Why would someone who’s dedicated years to battling Boeing over safety issues, to the point of early retirement, choose to end his life amid a crucial deposition? Does that smell fishy to you? We think it smells like a trout that’s been sitting outside in 100-degree weather for 10 days.

Draw your own conclusions…

BBC:

A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm’s production standards has been found dead in the US.

John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett’s passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.

It said the 62-year-old had died from a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” on 9 March and police were investigating.

Mr Barnett had worked for the US plane giant for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017 on health grounds.

From 2010, he worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant making the 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art airliner used mainly on long-haul routes.

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.

Barnett was pushing hard to shine a light on the dangers Boeing was slipping past the public. And looking at what’s happening now, with airplane parts like wheels and doors taking their own unexpected flights, it looks like he was right on the money.

Barnett was a fighter, that’s for sure. Based on his record, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to give up in the middle of a battle. The BBC piece goes on:

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.

Mr Barnett said he had alerted managers to his concerns, but no action had been taken.

The big shots are trying to sell us a story that’s impossible to swallow. Picture this: A guy who’s been fighting it out with Boeing for over seven years, who even made the trip to Charleston to give his deposition, suddenly decides to end it all in a hotel parking lot? Come on, really? That’s the tale they expect us to buy… The only way this could sound more like a conspiracy is if we learn Mr. Barnett was sitting on some juicy information about Hillary Clinton. The narrative they’re pushing just doesn’t add up. But here’s the kicker: This is probably where the story ends, thanks to a lack of curious and brave journalists and too many officials with their palms getting greased. It’s a bitter pill to swallow. So, next time you board one of those rickety, questionable planes, remember to say a little thank you to Mr. Barnett for his efforts to keep us safe.

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