Second Boeing Whistleblower Dies Suddenly

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Facts

  • A second whistleblower in connection with the safety issues surrounding the manufacturing of Boeing aircraft has died after a sudden illness, the man's family said on Tuesday.1
  • Joshua Dean, 45, formerly a quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, was among the first to raise concerns about manufacturing defects in 737 MAX planes. He gave testimony to a lawsuit and filed a formal complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration.2
  • In April 2023, Dean was fired by Spirit. He proceeded to file a complaint with the Department of Labor alleging that his termination came as a result of his whistleblowing on safety issues.2
  • In a series of social media posts, family members said Dean was taken to hospital after having difficulties breathing just over two weeks ago. He is said to have developed pneumonia before also contracting MRSA, a serious bacterial infection. His family said that his health deteriorated rapidly and he also suffered from a stroke before passing away.2
  • Dean's death follows that of another whistleblower, John Barnett, 62, who died in Charleston, South Carolina, in March. He was a former Boeing quality control manager and died after what local officers said appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.3
  • Brian Knowles, on the team of lawyers representing both men, said he did not want to speculate about the timing and circumstances of the deaths, saying 'It’s a difficult set of circumstances. Our thoughts now are with John's family and Josh's family.'2

Sources: 1Newsweek, 2The Seattle Times and 3Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Seattle Times. This was a tragic death and sincere condolences go out to Dean's family. However, it would be foolish to speculate about the timing and circumstances of his death without sufficient evidence. There is currently no proof of any foul play.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by NDTV.com. This is now the second death of a whistleblower in connection with this case. Both men were due to provide more evidence of the faulty manufacturing processes and their deaths at this time are deeply suspicious. The circumstances around these deaths need to be fully investigated.

Predictions