In a shocking turn of events, Joshua Dean, a 45-year-old former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier to Boeing, died suddenly due to a severe infection. Dean, who had been in good health and led a healthy lifestyle, was one of the first whistleblowers to raise concerns about safety issues at Boeing's key supplier.
Dean's sudden death comes on the heels of another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, who died in March from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. These untimely deaths have cast a spotlight on the ongoing safety concerns surrounding Boeing's 737 Max planes.
Dean had previously reported a problem with the aft pressure bulkhead on the Boeing 737, a critical piece of the plane's infrastructure, to several managers in different departments but was ignored. He later filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration alleging “serious and gross misconduct” by the quality management team that worked on the 737 Max production line.
In a December lawsuit against Spirit AeroSystems, Dean alleged that the company's management made false or misleading claims when they said they were dedicated to safety and defect-free manufacturing. He also claimed that he was fired for raising concerns about the safety of Boeing’s aircraft.
Dean's allegations echo those of other whistleblowers, including Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer who worked at Boeing for over 30 years. Salehpour testified at a Senate hearing on Boeing’s safety culture that the company retaliated against him for raising safety concerns about some aircraft parts.
Dean's sudden death has sent shockwaves through the aviation community. His lawyer, Brian Knowles, said 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."
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