Boeing whistleblower set to testify is found shot to death
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — High-profile errors including downright scary and terrorizing in-flight incidents have put Boeing under intense scrutiny.
The aircraft giant, accused of putting production and profits over safety is under investigation for alleged quality control failures. Now, the federal aviation administrator is speaking out.
“Boeing doesn’t have a choice but to improve its safety standards.” That’s what FAA Chief Mike Whitaker told NBC News in an interview this week. A recent series of stunning safety issues, the most shocking involving the mid-air door blow-out on that Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines flight, prompted an audit with disturbing revelations.
According to Whitaker, Boeing’s company culture placed more emphasis on mass production than safety standards. An initial investigation into the door blow-out found no bolts had been installed to secure the door plug to the plane. This led to heightened scrutiny of the already blistered Boeing 737 Max fleet.
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In 2018 and 2019, two Max 8 crashes took the lives of 346 people in separate accidents attributed to a flight control software design flaw. After a nearly two-year grounding before being released to return to the skies, the Max fleet has been struggling to regain public confidence. This latest public relations nightmare has inspired t-shirts with the slogan, ‘If it’s Boeing, I’m not going.’
Whitaker described the door blow-out incident as a production failure, calling for Boeing to make changes ASAP.
The aircraft maker said it will cooperate despite reportedly not being able to find the maintenance records documenting who, if anyone at Boeing, inspected the door with missing bolts, allowing the plane to sail through the production line.
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Whitaker is pressing Boeing to encourage its employees to feel free to speak up, if they see something, say something, without fear of retaliation.
Just last week, whistleblower John Barnett, a former quality control manager for Boeing, was found shot to death in his truck after not showing up for his third day of testimony in a bombshell lawsuit alleging Boeing of serious safety missteps.
Authorities said it appeared to be a suicide. Barnett’s family and attorneys are not buying it.
According to reports, before his mysterious death, Barnett told family members if anything happened to him, it was not suicide.
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