In a tragic turn of events, another Boeing whistleblower has passed away after expressing concerns about safety issues within the company. Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, had been vocal about manufacturing defects in the 737 Max line of planes before being fired in April 2023. Dean's untimely death follows the recent passing of John Barnett, a retired quality manager who also blew the whistle on Boeing's practices.

According to reports, Dean, 45, began experiencing trouble breathing over two weeks ago and was admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, he developed pneumonia and contracted a fast-spreading, antibiotic-resistant infection called MRSA, which ultimately led to his demise. Prior to falling ill, Dean was known for his healthy lifestyle and was in good health. His sudden decline highlights the severity of the infection.

Dean's concerns primarily centered around Spirit AeroSystems, where he revealed significant quality issues in the manufacturing process for the Boeing 737 Max. In a lawsuit filed in December, Dean accused the company of making false claims regarding their commitment to safety and defect-free manufacturing. He had reported a critical problem with the aft pressure bulkhead on the plane, a crucial component of its infrastructure, to multiple managers, but his warnings were ignored. It later emerged that Spirit employees had indeed misdrilled holes in parts of the 737 Max planes, including the aft pressure bulkhead Dean had raised concerns about.

Additionally, Dean filed complaints with both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Labor following his termination, alleging serious misconduct by the quality management team involved in the production of the 737 Max. He asserted that planes were leaving the Spirit AeroSystems factory with undetected defects due to a culture of rushing workers to meet unrealistic deadlines, where flaws were discouraged from being reported.

Dean's passing follows the death of John Barnett, who died from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound" in March. Barnett had served as a quality manager at Boeing for 32 years and had retired in 2017. His death occurred just hours after he provided evidence for a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that one in four oxygen masks on Boeing planes could be faulty. Barnett had highlighted a range of issues, such as a production-first culture, inexperienced quality managers, and pressure to sign off on incomplete inspections to maintain assembly line efficiency.

These two whistleblower deaths have cast further doubt on Boeing's handling of safety concerns amidst the numerous issues surrounding the 737 Max line of planes. Sam Salehpour, a veteran quality engineer who recently testified at a Senate hearing on Boeing's safety culture, has also faced retaliation for raising safety concerns about certain aircraft parts. Salehpour disclosed that he was ignored and discouraged from creating delays when voicing these concerns, ultimately exposing the lack of a safety culture within the company.

The deaths of Barnett and Dean underscore the need for a thorough investigation into Boeing's practices and their treatment of whistleblowers. As the aviation industry continues to grapple with the fallout from the 737 Max crisis, it is evident that there are systemic issues within the company that must be addressed to ensure the safety of passengers and regain the trust of the public.

Boeing has yet to issue a statement regarding the deaths of these whistleblowers or their allegations. The company's shareholders and regulators alike are closely watching how Boeing responds to these troubling developments.