Second Boeing whistleblower dies suddenly after claiming safety flaws ignored
A whistleblower who accused Boeing of ignoring safety flaws in the 737 MAX airplanes has died.
Joshua Dean, a former Spirit AeroSystems quality auditor, claimed he was fired for flagging concerns about lax standards at the company’s manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kansas.
His sudden death at the age of 45 on Tuesday came after suffering from a fast-spreading infection, according to his family and lawyer.
Dean’s lawyer Brian Knowles said it is a ‘loss to the aviation community and the flying public’.
Knowles told Al Jazeera: ‘He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues.
‘Aviation companies should encourage and incentivise those that do raise these concerns.
‘Otherwise, safety and quality are truly not these companies’ top priorities.’
Boeing came under fire for potentially fatal defects in its 737 MAX series.
The aircraft was involved in near-disaster when a door panel fell off of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a 737 MAX 9, mid-flight in January.
Passengers lost phones and clothes, and were nearly sucked out, when the panel was sucked out, causing the plane to depressurize.
Spirit AeroSystems had built the door panel.
In a complaint filed with the Federal Aviation Administration, Dean accused Spirit of ‘serious and gross’ quality failings at its production facility.
He claimed his concerns about a serious manufacturing defect had been ignored.
Dean later testified in a shareholder lawsuit against the company.
He believed he was fired from Spirit in April 2023 to discourage others from speaking out about concerns.
A spokesperson for the company said: ‘This sudden loss is stunning news here at Spirit and for his loved ones.’
Dean is the second Boeing whistleblower to die this year.
John Barnett, a 62-year-old who was also represented by Brian Knowles, was found dead with an apparently ‘self-inflicted’ gunshot wound in March.
He had been in the middle of a lawsuit against Boeing after suffering retaliation for exposing safety problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
But Dean’s death appears to be due to natural causes.
Writing on Facebook last Friday, his mother wrote that Dean was ‘fighting for his life’, having caught pneumonia and suffered a stroke after an MRSA infection.
He had previously been fit and healthy, according to The Seattle Times, which first reported his death.
Dean’s aunt Carol Parsons said: ‘It was brutal what he went through. Heartbreaking.’
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