Second Boeing whistleblower dies of ‘infection’ after colleague’s shooting death

Joshua Dean, a former quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing supplier who made headlines after blowing the whistle on safety concerns and alleged misconduct at the plane maker, died Tuesday of a severe infection, family members said Thursday .

It is very disturbing to note that Dean is the second whistleblower linked to Boeing to die in two months after accusing the aircraft industry giant of covering up technical faults in one of its planes.

Dean was one of the first to claim that the manufacturer knowingly overlooked defects in the infamous 737 MAX – which may have led to plane crashes.

The whistleblower died after a “short and sudden illness,” the Seattle Times reported.

Dean, 45, of Wichita, Kansas, was cranky and hearty, per the family, when he started complaining of trouble breathing about two weeks ago.

He was rushed to the hospital, according to the Seattle Times, which published the news of his death. “Dean’s deterioration from that point on was ‘violent’ and ‘heartbreaking,'” his aunt told the paper.

Dean’s mysterious death follows the death of fellow informant John Barnett, who died in a shooting that police are still investigating.

Both complainants were represented by the same South Carolina-based law firm.

After Barnett died in Charleston, the same South Carolina city where Boeing has its 787 manufacturing facility, the medical examiner in his report said the whistleblower died of a “self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“They found him in his truck. I don’t know what to say. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life,” one of Brian Knowles’ lawyers told reporters.

Boeing said in a statement: “The company is saddened by Barnett’s passing.”

Knowles declined to speculate on the “close timing and circumstances” of the two deaths.

“Informants are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interest of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand up,” Knowles said.

“It’s a difficult set of circumstances. Our thoughts now are with John’s family and Josh’s family.”