Josh Dean, a whistleblower who alleged that Spirit AeroSystems had engaged in "serious and gross misconduct" in connection with the manufacturing of Boeing’s 737 MAX plane, has died.
Per a report from Dominic Gates and Lauren Rosenblatt for the Seattle Times, Dean, who previously worked as a quality auditor for Spirit AeroSystems, a supplier for Boeing, died at the age of 45 on Tuesday after two weeks earlier being hospitalized with a severe infection. The report, citing social media activity from a family member, states that Dean “had been in good health” prior to the hospitalization.
Previously, Dean gave a deposition as part of a shareholder lawsuit with the company, as well as lodged an FAA complaint focused on alleged misconduct by higher-ups with regards to the 737. In April of last year, Dean was fired, with the ex-quality auditor further alleging that his firing was related to the whistleblowing.
Among the health issues that Dean is said to have had while in critical condition in the hospital was a reported case of MRSA, an infection caused by staph bacteria that’s resistant to most antibiotics. He had entered the hospital after initially having difficulty breathing, at which point he was intubated. Dean is also reported to have developed pneumonia.
When reached for comment on Thursday, a Spirit AeroSystems rep offered the following:
Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family. This sudden loss is stunning news here at Spirit and for his loved ones.
Brian M. Knowles, a lawyer who represented Dean, also shared a joint statement with co-counsel, Rob Turkewitz. In an email to Complex on Thursday, the two praised Dean for his "tremendous courage."
Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh and his family. Josh's passing is a loss to the aviation community and the flying public. He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues. Aviation companies should encourage and incentivize those that do raise these concerns. Otherwise, safety and quality are truly not these companies' top priorities.
Complex has also reached out to the FAA. This story may be updated.
This week's news follows the death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett in March. While the ex-Boeing employee was reported to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, coverage of the initial story was followed by a friend saying that Barnett had told her, "if anything happens to me, it's not suicide."
The larger Boeing controversy dates back several years. In 2019, then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg stepped down following public outcry over then-recent 737 MAX crashes.
