Culture Wars/Current Controversies

The Life and Untimely Death of a Boeing Whistleblower

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When two different Boeing whistleblowers died earlier this year, it was difficult to avoid some dark speculations. After all, the company has been accused of being cavalier about passengers’ lives; would it consider the lives of its most steadfast critics any more valuable? As reporter Sean Flynn dug into the death of Mitch Barnett, who sounded the alarm on a series of potentially fatal flaws in the assembly process of the 787 Dreamliner, the question of foul play receded — but that didn’t mean that Boeing was off the hook. In this moving story, we see Barnett the deeply devoted family man, someone with a strong sense of right and wrong and when to speak up. No wonder he ran into trouble with his employer.

—Christopher Cox, features editor, New York

The Life and Untimely Death of a Boeing Whistleblower Before he died in March, Mitch Barnett catalogued dangerous flaws in the company’s aircraft.

Photo: Jeffrey Milstein
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Categories: Culture Wars/Current Controversies

1 reply »

  1. Mitch Barnett and the other prominent Boeing whistleblower did not commit suicide.
    Period.
    Let’s be quite clear on this point. No suicide. Family and friends. None believed it.
    Barnett and the other whistleblower wanted their day in court. Family and friends agree.
    Death wasn’t part of their respective plans. Receiving justice in a court of law was THE plan.
    In truth, Barnett and others threatened the future existence of Boeing. Absolute fact.
    We are talking about one of the most powerful and prominent aviation companies in the world — being called out by its own employees. Powerful stuff, indeed. Dangerous too!
    In short, Boeing found itself in an untenable situation. A dilemma of their own making.
    It was discovered that critical decision-making errors had been detected within its overstretched production lines in Seattle and South Carolina.
    Time and again. Barnett and others repeatedly warned the proper company officials of the wrongdoing, at both facilities. As required, chain-of-command was duly respected.
    Yet, nothing happened, except both workers were punished and removed from their jobs.
    Recently, Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to fraud in its data collection and analysis.
    Over 300 people died in its airplanes. It will take years to get the company back on its feet. Hundreds of millions in profits and dozens of contracts will be lost to competitors.
    Hundreds of employees will eventually be laid off during this period of critical internal restructuring and rehabilitation.
    As always, it will be the loyal employees who will endure the brunt of restructuring.
    For now, Mitch Barnett’s death, and the death of the other Boeing whistleblower will remain unresolved.
    However, I do believe someone, in the near future, will come forward to tell us the dark and grisly details concerning the deaths (murder?) of these two brave and honest men.
    In the final analysis, how in the world did Boeing ever believe that they would get away with such corporate malfeasance, and their subsequent acts of criminality? Shocking!

    Reply

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