Second whistleblower who accused Boeing of ignoring safety flaws dies

A whistleblower who accused Boeing of ignoring safety flaws in the production of the 737 Max airplane has died.

Joshua Dean, 45, a former Spirit AeroSystems employee who alleged he was fired in retaliation for flagging poor standards at the company’s Kansas manufacturing plant, died on Tuesday after a sudden illness, his family said.

Dean’s lawyer Brian Knowles said his client’s death was a “loss to the aviation community and the flying public”.

“He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues. Aviation companies should encourage and incentivise those that do raise these concerns.

“Otherwise, safety and quality are truly not these companies’ top priorities,” Knowles told Al Jazeera.

Spirit AeroSystems said the company’s thoughts were with his family.

“This sudden loss is stunning news here at Spirit and for his loved ones,” a spokesperson told Al Jazeera.

Last month, Dean's mother posted on Facebook that her son was "fighting for his life" after contracting pneumonia and suffering a stroke due to an MRSA infection.

The Seattle Times, which reported his death first, said that Dean had been in good health and was known for his healthy lifestyle.

It comes less than two months after Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The 62-year-old, who worked for the aircraft maker for 32 years, had been giving evidence in a lawsuit against the company he had accused of fitting faulty parts.