In 2021, Barnett and his attorneys appealed the decision and amended the original complaint, alleging that the company "undermined his career because he had raised safety concerns," which Boeing denied.

[9] After graduating from Bolton High School,[9] after a period of time working as a cab driver,[10] Barnett enlisted in the United States Air Force (USAF).

[2][12] Barnett blamed a culture shift between the Everett and South Carolina plants on the latter's management being from the military, where he said he was pressured not to document defects and to follow non-Boeing procedures.

He characterized the defense-based management's motto as "we’re in Charleston and we can do anything we want" and their wishes to, "...push planes out the door and make the cash register ring."

He later said of the factory and its management, "...the whole place smelled of French fries,"[8] referring to the practice of hiring mechanics whose previous experience was in fast food.

"[6][13] Barnett said that management was pressuring and encouraging workers not to document defects, resulting in inaccurate build records, a violation of FAA regulations.

On a follow-up trip, Barnett was excluded and only two inspectors were given a truncated timeline that only allowed them time to document 50 defects, a reduction for which they were given accolades.

[16] Also in April 2024, quality engineer Sam Salehpour reported similar issues after a 2021 delay of the 787 due to unacceptable fuselage gaps.

Boeing's chief financial officer, Brian West, stated at an investor conference, "For years, we prioritized the movement of the airplane through the factory over getting it done right.

[6][13][10] Barnett alleged that he was denied a promotion he said he was the most qualified applicant for, demoted, transferred out of his position in quality inspection into an undesirable department, and blocked from a job at Michoud Assembly Facility, a NASA center in New Orleans that manufactures rocket parts.

[20] In 2019, he came forward to discuss numerous malpractices of Boeing with British broadcaster BBC, including overworking employees and not providing proper maintenance to aircraft.

[21] In 2019, Barnett appeared in a New York Times article raising additional quality issues at his former facility, speaking about the metal shavings.

However, a 2017 review by the FAA had upheld several of Barnett's concerns: it was discovered that over 50 "non-conforming" plane components in the facility were considered missing as their location could not be found.

[8] Barnett and his lawyers appealed the decision and amended the lawsuit, claiming the firm had "undermined his career because he had raised safety concerns at the Charleston plant".

[23] Boeing had settled a criminal charge with the United States Department of Justice in September that year for conspiracy to defraud the government regarding fatal design flaws in the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System of the 737 Max.

[13][25] In early 2024, Barnett issued further warnings regarding Boeing's work culture and vehicle safety following Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, in which a door was blown out.

[13] He had his legally-owned pistol in his hand,[33] with his finger still on the trigger, and left a suicide note in the passenger seat, on which he wrote, "I can't do this any longer" and "I pray Boeing pays.

"[34][3][12][35] Video surveillance showed Barnett left the hotel on the evening of March 8, but returned a few minutes later and re-parked, remaining inside his vehicle.

[33][34] During the investigation, the police obtained his cell phone and medical records which showed participation in the ongoing legal battle with Boeing "exacerbated" "numerous mental health issues related to the whistleblower case" he was suffering from.

"[12] Knowles and Turkewitz told CBS News that "Barnett was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on.

[27][44] His attorneys said in a statement after the release of the coroner's report, "Mr. Barnett’s last words make clear that while Boeing may not have pulled the trigger, the company is responsible for his death.

[46][47] Joshua Dean, a former quality inspector for the contractor Spirit AeroSystems, a 2005 Boeing spin-off, checked himself into the hospital after experiencing difficulty breathing from contracting influenza B and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Dean and other workers at the Wichita, Kansas factory testified that they had been instructed to downplay or hide production defects on the 737 Max, which had a door plug blow off mid-flight in January 2024.