Justice Department to prosecute Boeing in 737 Max crashes, finds it broke deal

May 16, 2024
Boeing violated an agreement that allowed it to avoid criminal charges following two fatal 737 Max crashes, U.S. Justice Department attorneys announced Tuesday as they revived a prosecution paused three years ago, Lauren Rosenblatt reports for The Seattle Times.

WASHINGTON - Boeing violated an agreement that allowed it to avoid criminal charges following two fatal 737 Max crashes, U.S. Justice Department attorneys announced Tuesday as they revived a prosecution paused three years ago, Lauren Rosenblatt reports for The Seattle TimesContinue reading original article.

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

16 May 2024 - The prosecution has been on hold since 2021 when Boeing and federal prosecutors reached a contentious agreement. This agreement required Boeing to meet specific safety conditions for three years. If Boeing had been found compliant, it would have avoided a potential criminal conviction related to the two Max crashes that resulted in over 300 deaths.

On Tuesday, the Justice Department concluded that Boeing had not met the terms of the agreement, allowing federal prosecutors to once again pursue criminal charges against the company.

“We believe that we have honored the terms of that agreement, and look forward to the opportunity to respond to the Department on this issue,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. “As we do so, we will engage with the Department with the utmost transparency, as we have throughout the entire term of the agreement, including in response to their questions following the Alaska Airlines 1282 accident.”

Related: FAA lays out extensive inspection process to allow Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft to return to service

Related: Boeing's MAX production issues ripple across aerospace industry

Related: Boeing MAX 10 debuts

Jamie Whitney, Senior Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Military Aerospace, create an account today!