Second Boeing whistleblower dies after sudden illness: Reports

A Boeing whistleblower who raised safety concerns about the carrier's 737 MAX planes has died after a sudden illness, US media outlets reported on Thursday (May 2).

Mr Joshua Dean, 45, died on Tuesday. He had received multiple diagnoses, including flu, pneumonia and a bacterial infection, his attorney Robert Turkewitz said.

"He was a healthy individual who ate well and exercised," Mr Turkewitz told NBC News. "So it just seems odd that he went so fast."

Mr Dean, a former quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems that builds the bulk of the 737 MAX for Boeing, had been sick for two weeks.

He was grappling with breathing difficulties and required ventilator support, according to NBC News.

His death comes weeks after another Boeing whistleblower was found dead in an apparent suicide.

In October 2022, Mr Dean raised concerns about misdrilled holes in a rear section of the MAX plane, which is vital for maintaining cabin pressure during flight, CBS News reported.

Less than a year later, he was fired by Spirit. He filed a complaint with the US Department of Labor, claiming that his termination was in retaliation for raising safety concerns.

"I think they were sending out a message to anybody else," Mr Dean told several US news outlets. "If you are too loud, we will silence you."

Boeing acknowledged the misdrilled holes in August 2023, stating that while it was "not an immediate safety issue", the company would need to reinspect and repair affected aeroplanes, delaying deliveries to airlines.

The announcement led to a more than 10 per cent drop in Spirit’s stock the following day, CBS News reported.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh and his family," said his attorneys Brian Knowles and Mr Turkewitz in a statement.

"Josh's passing is a loss to the aviation community and the flying public. He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues.

"Aviation companies should encourage and incentivise those that do raise these concerns. Otherwise, safety and quality are truly not these companies' top priorities."

Mr Dean is the second Boeing whistleblower to die in recent weeks.

The first, John Barnett, was found dead in March. The 62-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Charleston County coroner's office in South Carolina said on Mar 12.

Mr Barnett, who worked as a quality manager at Boeing for over three decades before leaving in 2017, alerted aviation authorities about what he said were potentially "catastrophic" safety failings with the 787 Dreamliner, US media outlets reported.

The 62-year-old also spoke out after the Jan 5 incident where a panel of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane blew out in mid-air.

His death is under investigation by local police.