Boeing Whistleblower Found Dead Amid Depositions Against Plane Company

Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, has died following a brief illness

Dean had gone public with safety concerns about the Boeing 737 MAX, alleging that Spirit AeroSystems had falsified inspection records and that Boeing had ignored his warnings. Dean's death comes as Boeing is facing a series of lawsuits and investigations over the 737 MAX, which was involved in two fatal crashes that killed a total of 346 people.

Dean's death is the latest in a string of deaths of people associated with the 737 MAX

In October 2018, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg's 64-year-old brother, Mark Muilenburg, died in a plane crash involving a Cessna Citation 525. In March 2019, Boeing test pilot Mark Forkner, who was involved in the development of the 737 MAX, died in a plane crash involving a Boeing 737-800. And in April 2021, Boeing engineer Anca Vlad, who worked on the 737 MAX's flight control software, died in a car accident.

Dean's death is being investigated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office in Kansas, where he lived. The sheriff's office has not released any details about the investigation, but Dean's family has said that they believe his death was related to his work as a whistleblower.

Boeing has expressed its condolences to Dean's family and said it is cooperating with the investigation into his death. The company has also said that it is committed to safety and that it will continue to investigate the 737 MAX and take any necessary corrective actions.