Charges against Boeing executives unlikely after 737 MAX crashes with 346 fatalities

US News

By Reuters

Published
June 1, 2024, 8:03 p.m. ET

New York – Boeing executives are unlikely to face criminal charges over the deadly plane crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people because the statute of limitations has likely expired, U.S. Justice Department officials told victims’ families in a meeting.

Details were confirmed by a person familiar with Friday’s meeting and Reuters was able to see the correspondence.

The time limit for prosecution for most federal crimes is five years.

A Boeing 737 MAX 7 aircraft flown by FAA chief Steve Dickson lands during a test flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington — Boeing executives are unlikely to face charges over a series of plane crashes in 2018 and 2019. REUTERS

The Justice Department found in mid-May that Boeing had violated a 2021 Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) that had protected the company from criminal charges related to the fatal plane crashes.

The executives agreed to ask a judge to drop charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as long as Boeing complies with the terms of the agreement over a three-year period ending January 7, 2024.

But two days before the agreement expired, an in-flight tire failure exposed ongoing safety and quality deficiencies. During an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, a control panel blew up on a new Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet.

Boeing has until June 13 to explain any disagreement with the department’s finding that the company violated the 2021 agreement.

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress “Sally B” landing at the Duxford Summer Air Show: D-Day 80 in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, UK — Boeing has until June 13 to explain any disagreement with the department’s finding that the company violated the 2021 agreement. ZUMAPRESS.com

Authorities have until July 7 to inform a federal judge in Texas of their plans.

“We have complied with the terms of the agreement,” Boeing said in a statement on Saturday.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Find out about Boeing’s ongoing aircraft fiasco

Boeing has been plagued by safety concerns since Jan. 5 after a door panel ripped off on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight from Oregon to California. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane, operated by Alaska Airlines, appeared to be missing four critical screws.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby threatened to avoid Boeing after the airline’s fleet of MAX 9 planes was grounded following the near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines door burst.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, warned that a mid-air door failure like the Boeing 737 MAX 9 fiasco could “happen again.” She added that there was a “problem with the process” of production.

A week after the first incident, another disaster occurred when a Boeing aircraft in Japan had to make an emergency landing due to a crack in the cockpit window.

A Boeing 757 lost its front tire while preparing to take off on an international flight in late January. At Atlanta International Airport, a Delta flight to Bogota, Colombia, was taxiing down the runway into position for takeoff when another aircraft alerted the control tower that something was wrong.

Later, a British passenger was alarmed when he noticed tape strips on the outside of a Boeing 787 during a flight to India, as seen in shocking photos.

A United Airlines Boeing 777-300 aircraft suffered a fuel leak in mid-air on Monday, March 11, and was forced to make an emergency landing. It was the fifth incident reported by the airline in just over a week.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary had previously stated that he had “loudly complained about quality control” to Boeing.

Whistleblower John Barnett, who raised safety concerns at the airline’s factories and gave his first testimony in a high-profile trial against Boeing, was found dead in his truck after failing to show up for the second part of his testimony on Monday.

The department is considering several options, including prosecuting Boeing or extending the DPA for a year. Officials could also enter into a new DPA or enter into a non-prosecution agreement that does not include court oversight.

Officials could also try to negotiate a deal with Boeing regarding the 2021 fraud allegations or take the company to court over them.

Boeing could also face charges for its conduct during the three-year term of the DPA, but officials have found no evidence that any crimes were committed during that period, prosecutors told the victims’ families, according to the source familiar with the meeting.

Relatives of the victims are currently discussing asking authorities to seek a higher penalty if Boeing is charged and convicted, the source told Reuters.

At the meeting, Justice Department officials said they were unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt any cases of manslaughter or fraud involving aircraft parts at the federal level, the person added.

Find out about Boeing’s ongoing aircraft fiasco

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