Following a two-week battle with an illness, Joshua Dean passed away on Tuesday. Joshua Dean became famous after he accused Spirit of neglecting to correct the flaws in their Boeing 737 assembly line. He was forty-five years old.
Joshua Dean was an aerospace auditor who worked as a quality inspector on the Boeing supplier assembly line for Spirit AeroSystems. He came out as a whistleblower, accusing Spirit Aerosystem.
In the complaint, he claimed that the company was using inappropriate production methods in its manufacturing and accused the production senior management of being originators. The complaint was filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early last year.
Shortly after he made his complaint, he was promptly fired. Dean then filed a complaint with the Department of Labor, claiming his dismissal was due to the complaint he had filed on safety issues.
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2018 and 2019 saw two very fatal plane crashes involving a 737 Max aircraft, resulting in the death of 346 people.
Dean was admitted after he complained about respiratory difficulties. He was diagnosed with influenza B, a MRSA staph infection. He was in critical condition for two weeks, where he developed pneumonia.
To ensure his survival, he was moved from a hospital in Kansas to an Oklahoma City facility. However, this effort was futile, as the medical personnel were unable to preserve his life. His condition worsened, resulting in his death in the hospital on Tuesday morning.
Dean’s aunt, Carol Dean Parsons, confirmed his death with a Facebook post. In the post, she admitted how painful his loss was. She also confirmed his time of death. Ending the message with how they would always celebrate him.
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Dean’s death came as shocked as he was seen in perfect health. He was known for his healthy lifestyle.
His death is barely two months after the suspected suicide death of another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett. Barnett, 62-year-old, was found dead in March from a premedicated bullet wound. Before his death, he was in a protracted lawsuit alleging retaliation against the company.
Barnett, who was employed by Boeing for thirty years. He told the press in 2019 that he found collections of metal fragments on flight control cables. He claimed if it had broken through cables, the damage could have been fatal.
However, rather than address the security complaints, the management transferred him to a new location in the building.
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With the frequent callouts, federal investigators are now investigating Spirit and Boeing. This is also to understand what caused the door panel of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 to detach while in the air. This is the latest news regarding a long list of accusations and lawsuits.
As we mourn Joshua Dean’s passing, let us rededicate ourselves to ensuring our workplaces are clear, honest, and ethical. This is the only way to ensure that whistleblowers’ voices are heard and that their efforts in terms of accountability and corporate responsibility are recognized and honored.
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