Second Boeing Whistleblower Dies Suddenly

Mr. Dean had filed a complaint with the FAA alleging serious and gross misconduct with quality control management at Spirit AeroSystems.

A Boeing 737 MAX-10 lands over the Spirit AeroSystems logo during a flying display at the 54th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on June 22, 2023. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

A former quality auditor at a Boeing supplier died suddenly this week after struggling with a “sudden, fast-spreading infection,” the Seattle Times reported on May 1.

Joshua “Josh” Dean, a Spirit AeroSystems employee who was one of the first to allege his company had ignored manufacturing defects on Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft, died at 45 years old on Tuesday, a family member confirmed to the outlet.