Second Boeing Whistleblower’s Death From ‘Infection’ Sparks Concern

Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, tragically died due to an infection. He raised concerns about defects in Boeing 737 Max parts, leading to his termination.

Dean’s passing follows Boeing whistleblower John Barnett’s death, which is currently under investigation for alleged suicide.

The passing of the two whistleblowers within a short period has raised eyebrows among people online, with many suspecting foul play.

Dean, 45, passed away on Tuesday morning after battling a sudden and aggressive infection.

Reports by the Seattle Times suggest that Dean, who had been in good health until recently, was admitted to the hospital about two weeks ago with a mysterious illness and had tested positive for influenza B, MRSA, and pneumonia.

Despite efforts to save him, including intubation, dialysis, and airlifting to another hospital in Oklahoma City, his condition deteriorated rapidly. Doctors even considered the possibility of amputating his hands and feet due to severe infection, which had turned them black.

His family, along with medical professionals, were left baffled by the sudden onset and severity of his illness, with his sister-in-law, Kristen Dean, writing on Facebook, “He is in the worst condition I have ever known or heard of. Even the hospital agrees.”

Sadly, Joshua Dean succumbed to his condition on Tuesday morning.

Over on X, social media users were stunned by the news of Dean’s death shortly after Barnett’s passing. Several wondered about the coincidence of two Boeing whistleblowers dying within the space of two months.

One person wrote, “Just to be clear, flying is still statistically 10,000 times safer than being a Boeing whistleblower.”

Another said, “If I had a nickel for every time a Boeing whistleblower mysteriously died, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.”

A third person noted, “Another Boeing whistleblower has died suddenly. Two expert witnesses trying to hold Boeing accountable have now died suddenly in less than two months. Does anyone else find this strange?”

After joining Spirit Aerosystems in 2019 as a quality auditor, Dean raised concerns about defects in parts for Boeing 737 Max planes, specifically improperly drilled bulkhead holes. Despite bringing the issue to management’s attention, no action was taken, and Dean felt his concerns were dismissed.

Unfortunately, his dedication to addressing the drilling problem caused him to overlook another issue involving fittings between the vertical tail fin and the fuselage, which was later discovered and led to his termination less than a year later.

In an interview with NPR following his firing, Dean speculated: “I think they were sending out a message to anybody else. If you are too loud, we will silence you.”

Eventually, Spirit Aerosystems acknowledged the issues Dean had raised, but not before they caused delays in Boeing manufacturing plants.

According to the New York Post, Dean, who testified that he and fellow workers were instructed to downplay identified problems, took further action by filing a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration, alleging he was made a scapegoat in Spirit’s efforts to conceal Boeing production issues.

Additionally, in November 2023, he lodged a complaint with the Department of Labor for wrongful termination, a case that remained unresolved at the time of his untimely passing.

His assertions gained support from a former colleague following a January incident involving a door hatch detaching from a Boeing 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight.

Dean explained to the Wall Street Journal: “It is known at Spirit that if you make too much noise and cause too much trouble, you will be moved. It doesn’t mean you completely disregard stuff, but they don’t want you to find everything and write it up.”

Dean’s tragic death comes less than two months after Boeing whistleblower John Barnett passed away from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in March.

Barnett’s death remains under investigation by local authorities, prompted by concerns raised by his legal team, who expressed disbelief and called for a thorough inquiry, noting that they “didn’t see any indication he would take his own life … no one can believe it.”

Brian Knowles, the attorney representing both Barnett and Dean, emphasized the significance of Dean’s contributions to aviation safety and lamented his loss, stating to The Time: “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.”

When asked about the speculation surrounding the consecutive deaths of his clients, Knowles stressed the importance of “evidence” from “investigating authorities,” noting that “What society does not need is people in fear to speak up.”