Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, passed away after battling a sudden infection. Dean lived in Wichita, Kansas, where Spirit is based, and was 45 years old. His sudden illness led to two weeks in critical condition before his death. His aunt, Carol Parsons, confirmed the details of his illness and passing.
Dean had previously raised concerns about manufacturing defects on the Boeing 737 MAX, alleging negligence from Spirit leadership. He provided a deposition in a shareholder lawsuit and filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration regarding alleged safety issues. Dean claimed his termination from Spirit was in retaliation for his safety concerns and pursued a legal battle with the Department of Labor.
After Joshua Dean was fired from Spirit AeroSystems, he alleged that the company failed to inform the FAA and the public about their knowledge of defects in the aft pressure bulkhead. In November, Dean received a letter from the FAA confirming the completion of an investigation into the safety issues he had raised. Although the specific outcome was not disclosed due to privacy provisions, the letter suggested that Dean’s allegations had substance and were appropriately addressed under an FAA-approved safety program.
In the same month, Dean filed an aviation whistleblower complaint with the Department of Labor, citing wrongful termination and alleging gross misconduct by senior-level Spirit AeroSystems quality managers. This case was still pending at the time of Dean’s untimely passing.
Following his departure from Spirit AeroSystems, Dean briefly worked at Boeing Wichita before moving on to another company. In December, a shareholder lawsuit was filed alleging that Spirit management had withheld information on quality flaws, which had negatively impacted stockholders. Dean provided a deposition supporting the lawsuit, detailing his allegations regarding the company’s actions.
The timing of Dean’s passing is notable, following the death of another Boeing whistleblower, John “Mitch” Barnett. Barnett’s death, ruled as a suicide, is still under police investigation. Mitch, who died a month earlier, raised similar concerns over defective components and was also embroiled in legal proceedings relating to the airline. Despite the timing of the two whistleblowers’ deaths, any potential connection between Barnett and Dean’s deaths remains speculative.