Joshua Dean, a former employee of Boeing who had previously raised concerns about manufacturing defects in the company’s 737 Max aircraft, has passed away after a brief illness. This year, another Boeing whistleblower also died.
Dean, who worked as a quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, filed a complaint with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alleging serious misconduct by senior management on the 737 production line. Following fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving 737 Max aircraft that resulted in the deaths of 346 people, Dean was terminated from Spirit last year. He filed a complaint with the US Department of Labor, claiming retaliation for speaking out about safety concerns.
According to reports, Dean was admitted to hospital after experiencing difficulty breathing and eventually passed away after two weeks due to complications from pneumonia and a severe infection. Carol Dean Parsons, his aunt, announced his passing on Facebook, expressing deep sorrow at his loss.
Dean was represented by the same law firm as John “Mitch” Barnett, another Boeing whistleblower who died earlier this year. Barnett had raised concerns about safety issues at Boeing, including discovering metal shards near flight control wiring that could have caused catastrophic damage. Another whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, recently testified to Congress about the lack of safety culture at Boeing and the mistreatment of employees who speak out.
At present, US regulators are investigating Boeing after a plane lost a door panel during a flight in January. The deaths of whistleblowers like Joshua Dean and John “Mitch” Barnett highlight the challenges faced by employees who raise safety concerns within the aviation industry.