Second Boeing whistleblower dies of 'sudden illness'
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Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died of an unexpected illness after accusing Boeing of production flaws.
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Joshua Dean, 45
A former quality auditor who accused a Boeing supplier of disregarding 737 Max production flaws died on Tuesday.
Joshua Dean, 45, was dismissed in April 2023 for raising low standards at Spirit AeroSystems' production unit in Wichita, Kansas. He died suddenly, as reported by The Seattle Times Wednesday.
Dean had gotten MRSA, a rapidly spreading bacterial infection, and was hospitalized prior to his death. His aunt, Carol Parsons, published a Facebook post with a note from Dean's mother dated Monday, stating that his condition was deteriorating.
Her message detailed how his lungs were "totally whited out from infection," adding that he is "very depressed, frightened, and doing a lot of sleeping."
Dean filed a Labor Department lawsuit following his departure from Spirit last year, claiming he was sacked in retribution for voicing safety concerns. According to The Seattle Times, he said that mechanics were drilling holes in the Max's aft pressure bulkhead incorrectly and that management ignored his objections.
He testified and filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming "serious and gross misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line" at Spirit AeroSystems.
His death comes as Boeing faces criticism for repeated jet mishaps with this year having over 40 incidents, accidents, and mishaps involving Boeing jets, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's Case Analysis and Reporting Online service.
However, that figure is roughly the same as figures for the same period in 2023, and analysts believe Boeing's problems aren't getting worse.
Boeing whistleblower's suicide: 'no one can believe it,' attorney says
Last month, John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who raised concerns about production issues, was found dead in an apparent suicide in South Carolina.
Barnett, a 32-year Boeing veteran, had voiced issues about safety problems, notably with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He was involved in a whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing at the time of his death.
The Charleston County coroner's office in South Carolina confirmed the 62-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, lawyers representing Dean and Barnett divulged to the HuffPost that at the time of Barnett's death that "He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn't see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it,"
Barnett, who worked as a quality manager at Boeing, had "exposed very serious safety problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and was retaliated against and subjected to a hostile work environment," they added.
Knowles told The Seattle Times, that “Whistleblowers are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interests of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand up."
Another previous Boeing employee who worked on the 787 Dreamliner last month warned the plane's body may collapse in midair.
“I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align,” Sam Salehpour told reporters on a call, adding, “That’s not how you build a plane.”
Salehpour reported that after addressing the issue with management, he was relocated to another section. In a response to HuffPost at the time, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was "thoroughly" investigating Salehpour's allegation.
