Boeing safety whistleblower found dead days after giving evidence in lawsuit

Transcript

00:00 A Boeing safety whistleblower has been found dead just days after giving evidence in a

00:04 lawsuit against the company.

00:06 John Barnett, a former Boeing employee, had been due to undergo further questioning over

00:10 the weekend in South Carolina.

00:12 But when he didn't appear in court, people started to get suspicious and inquiries were

00:15 made at his hotel.

00:17 He was found dead in his truck in the hotel car park.

00:20 The 62-year-old was found with a self-inflicted wound on March 9th, according to the Charleston

00:24 County Coroner.

00:25 However, police are investigating the circumstances around his death.

00:29 His attorney, Brian Knowles, doesn't buy it and is casting doubts about how his client

00:33 died.

00:34 Barnett worked for Boeing for more than three decades before he retired in 2017.

00:38 Two years later, he went on to tell the BBC he was worried about the production standards

00:41 at the firm.

00:42 He alleged that workers were under pressure and intentionally fitting substandard parts.

00:47 He raised an issue about planes' oxygen systems.

00:49 He said he believed up to one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency.

00:54 Boeing has denied the allegations, insisting it follows strict safety protocols.

00:59 This comes as the company is already under intense scrutiny.

01:02 After a cabin exit door was torn from a brand new Boeing 737 MAX in early January, the US

01:08 Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after the incident.

01:14 Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun said after the preliminary findings, "Whatever

01:18 final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened.

01:21 An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory."

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