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A whistleblower who identified engineering problems at the company that supplied Boeing with airliner fuselages died on Monday, CBS News has learned, after suffering from a fast-spreading infection.
Joshua Dean was a quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, which builds the bulk of the 737 Max for Boeing. Dean raised concerns in October 2022 about misdrilled holes on a rear section of the plane that is necessary to maintain cabin pressure during flight.
Attorneys for Dean confirmed his death. He was 45.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh and his family,” said attorneys Brian Knowles and Rob Turkewitz in a statement. “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.”
Boeing acknowledged the misdrilled holes in August 2023, writing in a statement that while it was “not an immediate safety issue,” the company would need to re-inspect and repair affected airplanes, delaying deliveries to airlines.
