On Tuesday, May 1st, the Seattle Times reported that a second Boeing whistleblower has died. Joshua Dean was a former quality auditor at Spirit Airlines, and one of the first people to scrutinize manufacturing defects on the 737 MAX. He died Tuesday morning after “a sudden, fast-spreading infection.” According to family members, he was in critical condition for two weeks.
A spokesperson for Spirit said: “Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family. This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.”
This news comes just two months after the sudden and incredibly suspicious death of another Boeing whistleblower named John Barnett. Barnett was a 32-year veteran at Boeing, and had also raised concerns about the safety and quality control of Boeing’s airplanes. Just days before Barnett was set to appear for further questioning in relation to a defamation lawsuit he had filed against Boeing, he was found dead in his car by a “self-inflicted gunshot wound”. It is extremely noteworthy to mention Barnett’s family claims he essentially predicted his own death, claiming he said “if anything happens, it's not suicide.”
Sources:
CBS Interactive. (n.d.). Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in South Carolina. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-barnett-boeing-whistleblower-death/
YouTube. (2024, March 14). “if anything happens, it’s not suicide”: Boeing Whistleblower’s prediction to family before death. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA44FFi95PA
Boeing whistleblower found dead of apparent suicide | Reuters. (n.d.). https://www.reuters.com/world/us/boeing-whistleblower-found-dead-apparent-suicide-2024-03-12/
Gates, D., & Rosenblatt, L. (2024, May 2). Whistleblower Josh Dean of Boeing Supplier spirit Aerosystems has died. The Seattle Times. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/whistleblower-josh-dean-of-boeing-supplier-spirit-aerosystems-has-died/
Chappell, B., & Rose, J. (2024, May 2). Whistleblower Joshua Dean, who raised concerns about Boeing jets, dies at 45. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/05/02/1248693512/boeing-whistleblower-josh-dean-dead
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