Boeing whistleblower dies following a brief illness, weeks after the suicide of another

An aviation employee — who went public with security issues and alleged retaliation by his employer — has died following a quick sickness, weeks after one other Boeing whistleblower’s loss of life, attorneys who represented each males mentioned Thursday.

Joshua Dean, 45, of Wichita, Kansas, died Tuesday after he acquired a number of diagnoses that included the flu, pneumonia and MRSA, prompting his household to hunt an post-mortem, lawyer Robert Turkewitz mentioned.

“He was a wholesome particular person who ate nicely and exercised,” Turkewitz instructed NBC Information. “So it simply appears odd that he went so quick.”

Dean had been sick for 2 weeks and had been struggling to breathe, forcing him to be placed on a ventilator.

“Our ideas and prayers are with Josh and his household,” mentioned a press release from Brian Knowles. one other lawyer representing Dean. “Josh’s passing is a loss to the aviation group and the flying public. He possessed super braveness to face up for what he felt was true and proper and raised high quality and questions of safety.”

Turkewitz and Knowles had additionally represented John Barnett, a 62-year-old Louisiana man, who died March 9 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Charleston, South Carolina, officers mentioned.

Barnett was on the town for a deposition in his federal authorized motion towards Boeing, together with his case set to go earlier than an administrative legislation choose later this yr, his attorneys mentioned.

Barnett, who spent greater than three a long time at Boeing, instructed aviation authorities in 2017 about what he mentioned have been doubtlessly “catastrophic” security failings with the 787 Dreamliner.

Dean was a former high quality auditor at Boeing provider Spirit AeroSystems and he alleged that managers didn’t act on manufacturing defects on the 737 MAX planes.

Although he was not a plaintiff, he’s talked about in a 2023 shareholder lawsuit towards Spirit.

The “mis-drilled holes” within the rear bulkhead of the MAX planes have been reported by Dean, who submitted “formal written findings to his supervisor” however Spirit “hid the defect,” in response to the lawsuit. These holes may create cracks and threaten an plane’s structural integrity.

“Now, I’m not saying they don’t need you to go on the market and examine a job. , they do,” he instructed NPR this yr. “However should you make an excessive amount of bother, you’ll get the Josh remedy. You’re going to get what occurred to me.”

Dean was let go from the corporate April 26, 2023, in what he referred to as an act of retaliation.

“I believe they have been sending out a message to anyone else,” Dean mentioned. “If you’re too loud, we’ll silence you.”

Spirit mentioned in a press release that it’s mourning Dean’s passing, however declined to touch upon his accusations. The provider beforehand instructed NPR that it strongly disagrees with the allegations within the go well with and is preventing the case in courtroom.

“Our ideas are with Josh Dean’s household,” Spirit spokesperson Joe Buccino mentioned within the assertion. “This sudden loss is gorgeous information right here at Spirit and for his family members.”

The stress of the previous few years may have taken a toll on Dean, Turkewitz mentioned.

“We have been instructed that stress may cause the immune system to weaken and makes you extra vulnerable to pneumonia, the flu and MRSA,” he mentioned. “He’d been beneath a variety of stress for blowing the whistle and being terminated, he believed, because of blowing the whistle. He’d been attempting to get the phrase out and nobody would hear.”