Second Boeing whistleblower dies

Joshua Dean, a whistleblower who raised concerns about possible unsafe features on some Boeing aircraft, has died, his lawyer confirmed to WORLD on Thursday. Lawyer Brian Knowles called his death a loss to the aviation community. “He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues,” he added.

The Seattle Times reported that Dean passed away on Tuesday after a sudden fatal infection. In March, another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, passed away in an apparent suicide, the Associated Press reported, citing the Charleston County Coroner’s Office. In recent months, Boeing aircraft have had several incidents, including a January incident when a panel blew off of a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet mid-flight.

Who was Dean? Dean used to work for Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactures parts for Boeing aircraft, before the organization terminated his employment in April 2023, according to The Seattle Times. Before his firing, he had raised concerns about the integrity of some aircraft parts shipped to Boeing. The Federal Aviation Administration has identified several incidents in which Boeing failed to meet manufacturing quality control requirements, according to statements by the agency. Dean’s death was stunning news to the company, Spirit AeroSystems told WORLD. “Our thoughts are with his family,” the company said. WORLD contacted Boeing for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Who was the other whistleblower? Barnett raised concerns about safety risks related to oxygen masks on Boeing’s 787 aircraft in 2019, according to CNN. Boeing denied his claims. Boeing’s 787s are manufactured in Charleston, S.C., where Barnett lived. On March 9, he died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to various media reports. The investigation into his death is still ongoing, the Charleston Police Department confirmed to WORLD on Thursday.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about how Boeing is struggling to maintain its reputation for safe aircraft amid numerous airborne mishaps.