Barnett was involved in a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing, alleging serious safety concerns at the North Charleston plant, where he managed quality for the 787 Dreamliner production.
A former Boeing staffer who once raised concerns about the company's production standards has been found dead in the US.
John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in a hotel parking lot in South Carolina, cops said Monday - seven years after he retired following a 32-year career.
The ex-quality manager at Boeing's North Charleston plant died from a 'self-inflicted' wound, cops in Charleston said, adding that they were still investigation.
Barnett's death came during a break in depositions in a whistleblower retaliation suit, where he alleged under-pressure workers were deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the assembly line.
He said that in some cases, second-rate parts were literally removed from scrap bins, before being fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays. A 2017 review by the FAA upheld some of his concerns, requiring Boeing to take action.
He had just given a deposition to Boeing's lawyers for the case this past week, his attorney Brian Knowles said.
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“The most terrifying force of death comes from the hands of Men who wanted to be left Alone. TRUE TERROR will arrive at these people’s door, and they will cry, scream, and beg for mercy… but it will fall upon the deaf ears of the Men who just wanted to be left alone.”