Joshua Dean, Boeing Whistleblower Who Flagged Flaws in 737 Max Planes, Dies; 2nd Death in 2 Months

New Delhi: Joshua Dean, one of the whistleblowers who highlighted safety concerns over manufacturing flaws in Boeing, died aged 45 on Wednesday. Dean's death comes two months after John Barnett, another Boeing whistleblower, ended his life.

Dean's death is being attributed to a sudden and aggressive infection, which continued to deteriorate his health despite aggressive medical intervention, including an ECMO machine. The 45-year-old had developed breathing difficulties just two weeks ago. He battled for life for a few days before succumbing to his illness.

He was one of the first to flag the issue of Spirit leadership potentially ignoring critical manufacturing flaws in Boeing's 737 MAX planes.

The flaws and ignorance by Spirit prompted him to document his observations, including improperly drilled holes in the aft pressure bulkhead which is a crucial component for maintaining cabin pressure.

He was eventually sacked by Spirit in April 2023, in response for exposing the plane's flaws as he believed.

John Barnett’s Death

Embroiled in a legal battle alleging retaliation for exposing safety concerns with the 787 Dreamliner, John Barnett had died by suicide in March.

In April 2024, former Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testified before lawmakers in Capitol Hill and made shocking revelations, stating Boeing prioritises pushing flawed components despite safety risks. 

With 17 years of experience at Boeing, Salehpour became a whistleblower after facing repercussions for raising safety issues regarding the popular 787 Dreamliner and 777 aircraft.

Meanwhile, Boeing acknowledged the existence of flaws, it assured ongoing efforts toward improvement. Boeing refuted Salehpour's claims regarding the Dreamliner's safety, citing extensive testing that purportedly shows no signs of fatigue.