The latest fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en Chaufe from Ahmedabad to London, who has 265 life, has once again sparked the global concern about Boeing's manufacturing process. Although the official matter remains unconfirmed, the tragedy has drawn attention to security allegations that the late Boeing Whistleblower raised John Barnett.
John Barnett, former quality inspector in the South Carolina plant of Boeing between 2010 and 2017, previously expressed serious concerns about the manufacturing process of the 787 Dreamliner. He reported on the presence of metal shavings near critical cable systems, which represented potential fire or malfunctional risks, and warned that up to 25% of the oxygen masks could fail during emergencies. He also found problems with missing or not properly placed parts, which indicates systemic dilapidated in quality control.
These claims were presented by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Occupational Safety Agency (OSHA). While the FAA recognized certain production errors, Osha ruled in favor of Boeing. Barnett was exposed to professional retaliation measures and retired in 2017 due to health problems. Even after his retirement, he continued to pronounced, including his widely respected interview from 2019, which was later presented in the Netflix documentary 2022 “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing”.
In March 2024, he was mysteriously found in his pickup in South Carolina after being associated with two days of his legal certificate in connection with his Whistleblower case. The authorities ruled it as suicide and cited a note found on site. In view of the latest air disaster, these earlier warnings have reappeared, which has increased the concern of the public towards Boeing's security standards and production integrity.