Boeing whistleblower John Barnett is found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel just days after testifying in lawsuit against the aviation giant

A former Boeing employee who once raised concerns about the company’s manufacturing standards has been found dead in the US.

John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in a South Carolina hotel parking lot, police said Monday — seven years after he retired from a 32-year career.

The former quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant died of a ‘self-inflicted’ wound, Charleston police said, adding that they were still investigating.

Barnett’s death occurred during a break in depositions in a whistleblower retaliation case in which he alleged vacuum workers knowingly assembled substandard aircraft parts on the assembly line.

He said that in some cases, second-rate parts were literally removed from scrap bins before being fitted to planes built to prevent delays. A 2017 FAA review confirmed some of his concerns, requiring Boeing to intervene.

He made a formal statement to Boeing’s lawyers last week, his lawyer said.

The former quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston plant (seen dead of a ‘self-inflicted’ wound, Charleston police said. Barnett was at the center of a lawsuit alleging vacuum workers knowingly fitted vacuum parts to planes during his tenure

In a statement on Monday, Brian Knowles called his client’s death ‘tragic’.

The Charleston County medical examiner confirmed he died Friday while in town for legal interviews related to the case.

Boeing also responded to the former worker’s death — which comes at a time when manufacturing standards at both Boeing and its key supplier Spirit Aerosystems are under scrutiny — in a statement.

‘We are sorry for Mr. Barnett’s passing and our thoughts go out to his family and friends.’