The aircraft manufacturer and family of deceased whistleblower John Barnett have agreed to end their legal dispute.
A Boeing 787-10 in North Charleston (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Chuyi Chuang)
Boeing has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of deceased whistleblower John “Mitch” Barnett.
The settlement, filed in a federal court on Monday, concludes a nearly two-month wrongful death lawsuit filed by Barnett’s family a year after his death in March 2024. The details of the settlement were not provided in court documentation.
In the lawsuit, Barnett’s family claimed he was driven to suicide after “retaliation, harassment and maltreatment” from the company led him to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Barnett, a seasoned quality inspector at the aircraft manufacturer, drew national attention to Boeing’s quality control issues with its 787 Dreamliner program.
John Barnett in a Netflix documentary (Photo: Netflix)
The Federal Aviation Administration began investigations into Boeing’s quality control processes after a door plug flew off an Alaska 737 MAX 9 in February 2024, a month before Barnett committed suicide.
He was suing Boeing under the provisions of the AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Program, and was scheduled to take a follow-up deposition for the lawsuit before he was found dead in his truck in Charleston, South Carolina.
AirlineGeeks reached out to prosecuting attorney David Boies for comment.
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