SEATTLE — As Boeing ramps up production and tries to prove its troubled past is behind it, a new documentary is reopening questions about the whistleblowers of the past who tried to sound the alarm as safety and quality slipped.
Netflix’s “Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing,” from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rory Kennedy, focuses on Boeing employees who raised concerns about what they described as declining standards inside the company.
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“Freefall” centers in part on John Barnett, a former Boeing quality manager who became a prominent whistleblower. Barnett died by suicide in 2024 while involved in a legal case against Boeing.
The documentary traces Barnett’s career at Boeing through interviews with him and other former quality workers.
They describe incidents they believed reflected inadequate safety and quality controls and say they encountered resistance or threats of retaliation after raising concerns with management.
A Boeing spokesperson said the allegations in the film have been widely reported over the years.
“Some remain unfounded claims to this day while others are issues that Boeing thoroughly addressed or continues to improve upon under the rigorous oversight of our regulators,” the spokesperson said in a written statement. “We are grateful that customers, industry experts, policymakers, and our employees are seeing improvements in how we work together and deliver quality products. Our...
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