Former Spirit AeroSystems worker Joshua Dean, 45, died after contracting a sudden sickness, The Seattle Times reported on Wednesday. Dean’s aunt, Carol Parsons, informed the outlet that Dean went to the hospital after he had hassle respiration some two weeks in the past.
Parsons mentioned her nephew was intubated, and his situation started to worsen. Dean developed pneumonia and MRSA, a severe bacterial an infection, per The Seattle Times.
“Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family. This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones,” Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for Spirit, informed The Seattle Times.
Dean testified in opposition to Spirit in a shareholder lawsuit final yr, the place the previous high quality auditor accused the corporate of poor high quality management within the manufacturing of Boeing’s 737 Max.
The firm’s unorthodox engineering practices got here underneath scrutiny after The New York Times reported in March that it used liquid Dawn cleaning soap to lubricate a 737 Max door seal.
Spirit later mentioned it tried utilizing different family merchandise like Vaseline and cornstarch as a lubricant earlier than it settled on utilizing Dawn cleaning soap, per The Times. Dawn cleaning soap is, nevertheless, documented underneath the Federal Aviation Administration’s requirements as a viable manufacturing unit device, Spirit informed The Times.
Dean informed The Wall Street Journal in January that Spirit fired him for stating wrongly drilled holes in fuselages.
“It is known at Spirit that if you make too much noise and cause too much trouble, you will be moved,” Dean informed The Journal. “It doesn’t mean you completely disregard stuff, but they don’t want you to find everything and write it up.”
Spirit informed The Journal that it disagreed with Dean’s assertions, including that it could defend itself in court docket.
Dean’s dying comes after the passing of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, 62. Barnett died in March, in the course of his deposition in opposition to Boeing.
The former Boeing supervisor died from “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Charleston County coroner’s workplace informed BI in an announcement. No additional particulars have been supplied.
Dean’s lawyer, Brian Knowles, informed The Seattle Times that he didn’t wish to speculate concerning the timing and circumstances of Dean’s dying. Knowles additionally represented Barnett.
“Whistleblowers are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interests of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand up,” Knowles mentioned of Dean.
For its half, Boeing has come underneath heightened scrutiny following repeated high quality assurance lapses.
During its latest earnings name final month, Boeing revealed that it had posted a web lack of $355 million in its newest quarter. The firm mentioned it burned by way of $3.9 billion in money within the yr’s first quarter.
“Near term, yes, we are in a tough moment,” Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun mentioned in a letter to his staff on April 24.
Representatives for Knowles and Spirit AeroSystems didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from BI despatched outdoors common enterprise hours.