Boeing Whistleblower Joshua Dean Passes Away Amid Controversies

International

oi-Saumya Joshi

Amidst
various
controversies
faced
by
Boeing,
another
whistleblower
who
had
raised
concerns
about
one
of
the
company’s
aircraft
has
passed
away.

Whistleblower
Joshua
Dean
Passes
Away

Joshua
Dean,
a
former
quality
auditor
at
Boeing
supplier
Spirit
AeroSystems,
succumbed
to
a
“sudden
and
fast-spreading
infection”
after
battling
it,
on
Tuesday
Morning.
Dean
had
been
one
of
the
first
whistleblowers
to
allege
that
manufacturing
defects
on
the
Boeing
737
MAX
were
ignored
by
Spirit’s
leadership,
as
reported
by
The
Mint.

According
to
The
Seattle
Times,
the
45-year-old
resided
in
Wichita,
where
Spirit
is
headquartered,
and
had
been
in
good
health
before
contracting
a
lung
infection.
Dean’s
death
was
confirmed
by
his
aunt
Carol
Parsons,
who
noted
that
he
had
been
in
critical
condition
for
two
weeks.

Condolences
were
expressed
by
Spirit
spokesperson
Joe
Buccino,
stating
that
the
company
is
saddened
by
the
sudden
loss.
“Our
thoughts
are
with
Josh
Dean’s
family.
This
sudden
loss
is
stunning
news
here
and
for
his
loved
ones,”
Buccino
told
The
Seattle
Times.

It
is
important
to
note
that
Dean
was
terminated
by
the
company
in
April
2023.
A
deposition
was
given
by
the
former
quality
auditor
in
a
Spirit
shareholder
lawsuit,
and
a
safety
complaint
was
filed
with
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration
(FAA).

In
the
complaint,
serious
and
gross
misconduct
by
senior
quality
management
of
the
737
production
line
at
Spirit
was
alleged
by
Dean.
Following
his
termination
from
the
company,
a
complaint
against
the
airliner
was
filed
by
him
with
the
Department
of
Labor.
Accusations
were
made
by
Dean
that
Spirit
terminated
his
contract
in
retaliation
for
raising
concerns
related
to
aviation
safety,
as
reported
by
First
Post.

Tragic
Circumstances
Surrounding
Joshua
Dean’s
Illness
and
Passing

Details
were
shared
with
the
media
by
Parsons,
stating
that
Dean
suddenly
fell
ill
and
was
hospitalized
due
to
difficulty
breathing.
He
was
eventually
intubated
and
developed
pneumonia.
Doctors
later
diagnosed
Dean
with
a
serious
bacterial
infection.

As
his
condition
worsened,
Dean
was
airlifted
from
Wichita
to
a
hospital
in
Oklahoma
City.
On
Friday,
his
mother
posted
on
Facebook,
providing
updates
on
his
condition
and
expressing
that
Dean
was
“fighting
for
his
life.”

He
was
heavily
sedated
and
put
on
dialysis,
and
during
his
final
days,
doctors
considered
amputating
both
his
hands
and
feet.
Parsons
described
the
ordeal
as
“brutal”
for
Dean
and
heartbreaking
for
his
loved
ones,
as
per
media
report.

Dean’s
passing
occurred
just
months
after
another
Boeing
whistleblower
named
John
Barnett
was
found
deceased.
Authorities
reported
that
the
62-year-old
passed
away
from
a
“self-inflicted”
wound
on
March
9.

According
to
reports,
Barnett
had
been
providing
evidence
in
a
whistleblower
lawsuit
against
Boeing
just
days
before
his
death.