A prominent Boeing whistleblower who reported on safety and quality control concerns in the company\u2019s production line was found dead Saturday, according to South Carolina authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Barnett, 62, died of an apparent self-inflicted wound on Friday, the Charleston County Coroner\u2019s office said. He was found in his truck at his hotel\u2019s parking lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 32-year veteran of Boeing, Barnett\u2019s 2019 whistleblower allegations<\/a> claimed that overworked employees at its South Carolina plant frequently fitted substandard parts on planes and reported faulty oxygen systems that could result in as many as 1 in 4 oxygen masks not operating properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boeing denied Barnett\u2019s claims, but a follow-up investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration lent credence to some aspects of his allegations. A report found that more than 50 \u201cnon-conforming\u201d parts were unable to be traced and were lost in the company\u2019s system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Barnett was in Charleston to be questioned for a long-running retaliation suit against the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n