Boeing-Linked Whistleblower Dead, the Second in 2 Months: ‘He Possessed Tremendous Courage,’ Lawyers Say
Joshua Dean reportedly died the morning of Tuesday, April 30, after experiencing a sudden illness
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The Boeing Airplanes factory in Everett, WashingtonA Kansas man is now the second whistleblower linked to Boeing to die in the last two months
Family said Joshua Dean died after contracting influenza B, MRSA and developing pneumonia
The 45-year-old man was reportedly among the first whistleblowers to accuse Spirit AeroSystems leadership of ignoring defects on the 737 MAX
Another whistleblower who raised concerns about Boeing aircraft product safety has died, the second in the last two months.
Joshua Dean, of Wichita, Kan., died the morning of Tuesday, April 30, after experiencing a sudden illness, according to Seattle Times and Newsweek. He was 45.
Dean had previously worked as a quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems and was among the first whistleblowers to accuse Spirit leadership of ignoring defects on the 737 MAX.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh and his family," said Dean's lawyers Brian Knowles and Rob Turkewitz in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues."
Carol Parsons, Dean's aunt, said her nephew was in critical condition for two weeks prior to his death, according to the Times. He was apparently in good health before falling ill, as well.
“Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family,” a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.”
Dean began working for Spirit in 2019, returning in 2021 after he was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Time.
In October 2022, Dean raised concerns about what he alleged were manufacturing defects in the 737 MAX, TIME and Newsweek reported. He was fired a few months later, in April 2023.
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Dean then filed a complaint with the Department of Labor claiming he was fired in retaliation for raising concerns regarding the defects, according to the Times.
He also filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration accusing Spirit of “serious and gross misconduct by senior quality management of the 737 production line.
Dean went to the hospital less than three weeks ago after he started having trouble breathing, Parsons told the Times.
His family said in posts on social media that Dean was first diagnosed with influenza B and MRSA, a bacterial infection, before developing pneumonia, per Time’s report.
Related: 2 Pilots Survive 'Miraculous' Escape from Boeing 737 Tanker Crash While Fighting Fires in Australia
Dean was eventually airlifted to a hospital in Oklahoma City and later put on an ECMO machine. A CT scan revealed he had experienced a stroke at some point.
“He is in the worst condition I have ever known or heard of. Even the hospital agrees,” the former quality auditor's sister-in-law, Kristen Dean, said in a Facebook post on April 2.
Dean's death was announced three days later. Knowles and Turkewitz tell PEOPLE his death "is a loss to the aviation community and the flying public."
"Aviation companies should encourage and incentivize those that do raise these concerns," Knowles and Turkewitz say. "Otherwise, safety and quality are truly not these companies' top priorities."
Dean's death occurred less than two months after another Boeing-linked whistleblower, John Barnett, was found dead on March 9 in Charleston, S.C., where he was delivering a deposition in connection with a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing.
The Charleston County Coroner's Office said the 62-year-old Louisiana man died from an apparent suicide, according to a statement previously obtained by PEOPLE.
Lawyers for Barnett said their client “was in very good spirits” at the time, and was “really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him.” They described him as “a brave, honest man of the highest integrity” who “cared dearly” about the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers and those who flew on Boeing aircraft.
“We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life,” Knowles and Robert Turkewitz said in a statement previously obtained by PEOPLE. “No one can believe it.”
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