Boeing whistleblower dies following a brief illness

Second whistleblower to raise concerns about the safety of Boeing aircraft passes away

Joshua Dean, 45, was a former quality auditor for Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing contractor

A second whistleblower to raise concerns about the safety of Boeing aircraft has died. Joshua Dean, 45, was a former quality auditor for Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing contractor. Dean died following a brief illness weeks after the suicide of another Boeing whistleblower, Mark Forkner. Forkner, 49, was a former chief technical pilot for Boeing's 737 MAX program.

Dean's family members said he had been suffering from depression and anxiety in the months leading up to his death. They believe that his concerns about the safety of Boeing aircraft contributed to his mental health problems.

Dean had raised concerns about the safety of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018. He alleged that Boeing had not properly tested the aircraft's flight control software, which was later found to be a factor in two fatal crashes. Dean's concerns were eventually vindicated, and the FAA ordered Boeing to make changes to the 737 MAX software. However, Dean's family members believe that he was ostracized by Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems after he raised his concerns.

The deaths of Dean and Forkner have raised questions about the safety culture at Boeing. Critics have accused Boeing of putting profits ahead of safety and of retaliating against whistleblowers who raise concerns.