Dave Calhoun in Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
In Rory Kennedy’s Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, the documentary furthers the whistleblowing efforts of former Boeing employees who were all targeted by the company for its negligence in the crashed 737 MAX airbuses. The sequel to her Downfall: The Case Against Boeing chronicles the late whistleblower John Barnett, who dedicated more than 30 years of his life to Boeing as a quality control manager.
How did he pass? Who was the Boeing CEO around the time of his passing? Let’s break it down.
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun first joined Boeing as a board member in 2009. When Dennis Muilenburg was fired in 2019 following the 2018 Lion Air and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crashes that led to 346 fatalities, Calhoun was appointed CEO in January 2020—not only to save the company’s face, but to steer it in the right direction while the 737 Max was grounded for 20 months.
Across the years, no real change occurred beyond Calhoun appeasing investors and discussing stock prices, per the doc, rather than ensuring the safety of the company’s planes. His yearly bonuses and salary kept rising. According to a 2024 CNN report, “Calhoun’s total compensation in 2023 was $32.8 million, a 45% increase from the $22.6 million he received for 2022. And it could have been a lot more: He declined to accept his annual incentive bonus of $2,800,000 – a request the board said he made after part of a Boeing 737 Max plane blew off the side of an Alaska Airlines flight in January, kicking off a series of federal investigations, a temporary grounding, executive ousters and another embarrassing public relations blunder for the company.”
When the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident happened on January 5, 2024—where a door plug blew open mid‑air, leading to a federal investigation—Calhoun found himself in the same seat Muilenburg had been in, testifying in court before senators. In a Federal Aviation Administration audit, it was found that the company failed many inspections. In a New York Times report, “For the portion of the examination focused on Boeing, the F.A.A. conducted 89 product audits, a type of review that looks at aspects of the production process. The plane maker passed 56 of the audits and failed 33 of them, with a total of 97 instances of alleged noncompliance, according to the presentations.”
As seen in the doc, Calhoun was ripped a new one when put to stand. “You’re focused on exactly what you were hired to do, which is that you’re cutting corners. You are eliminating safety procedures. You are sticking it to your employees,” Missouri senator Josh Hawley said to Calhoun. “You are cutting back jobs because you’re trying to squeeze every piece of profit you can out of this company.” He concluded, “Frankly, sir, I think it’s a travesty that you’re still in your job.”
By the end of the year, Calhoun stepped down as CEO in response to public scrutiny. Today, he is out of the public eye and has removed himself from executive roles. He serves as a vice rector and chairs the Compliance, Audit and Risk Committee for Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors. At Boeing, Kelly Ortberg has succeeded Calhoun as CEO and president.
John Barnett
John Barnett in Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing. Cr. Courtesy of Vicky Stokes
Across Freefall, John Barnett—based in Louisiana—reported numerous quality concerns with the modernized planes through archival tape recordings and footage. Barnett worked for Boeing for 30 years as a quality control manager before retiring in 2017, following the recommendation of his therapist, who said he would possibly have a heart attack if he continued.
Stationed at Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner facility in Charleston, South Carolina, the facility was, according to him in a BBC interview, “strictly driven by schedule and cost.” The film also illustrated that in‑house manufacturers had to force pieces that didn’t fit onto planes, many of which were outsourced to save costs. In the BBC report, “under‑pressure workers even fitted sub‑standard parts from scrap bins to aircraft on the production line, in at least one case with the knowledge of a senior manager.” Every piece of information Barnett had against the company, he documented.
In the years that followed, Barnett faced indescribable depression and bouts of fear as he prepared for a trial that Boeing was trying to avoid. That same year, he made a complaint to the federal Department of Labor regulator, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
On March 9, 2024—the day he was supposed to give his deposition in his case against Boeing—Barnett was found dead in his truck. Per a TIME article, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office reported it as “what appears to be a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.” His lawyer, Brian Knowles, stated, “He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on. We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it.”
In an interview with the Associated Press, his brother Rodney stated, “He was suffering from PTSD and anxiety attacks as a result of being subjected to the hostile work environment at Boeing, which we believe led to his death.”
His surviving notebook contained a note: “I can’t do this any longer enough!! Boeing!! Family & Friends I love you all. I found my purpose. I’m at peace.” His surviving parents signed the other side: “I Love you more.”
In the aftermath, John’s surviving mother, Vicky Stokes, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Boeing. In September of that year, Boeing reached a settlement of $50,000 with her, agreeing to drop her claims that the company contributed to her son’s death by suicide.
Today, John’s legacy has encouraged more whistleblowers to come forward and confront the company’s malpractice and negligence head‑on.
