Boeing is facing fresh scrutiny over its handling of 737 MAX safety issues, as newly released documents show the company withheld critical information from Ethiopian Airlines pilots before the second fatal crash in 2019.
A federal judge has scheduled a hearing for Friday, October 11, to consider objections from victims’ families to a proposed plea deal between Boeing and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over the two 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people.
The New York Times reported that in late 2018, Boeing executives refused to answer questions from Ethiopian Airlines’ chief pilot about the MCAS flight control system – the same system that later caused the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
Naoise Connolly Ryan, who lost her husband in the Ethiopian crash, criticized Boeing for withholding safety information from airlines.
“Ms. Ryan criticized Boeing for holding back safety information from airlines, calling it criminal and suggesting it could have prevented the Ethiopian crash,” the New York Times reported.
The families’ lawyer, Paul Cassell, said the newly released emails confirm that Boeing concealed safety issues as part of its criminal conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Boeing put continuing its conspiracy of concealment ahead of passenger safety, killing all those on board,” Cassell told the New York Times.
The hearing on Friday will consider objections to a plea deal reached between Boeing and the DOJ in July, where Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the FAA.
Victims’ families argue the deal fails to hold Boeing adequately accountable and does not sufficiently protect future air passengers.
Several family members of crash victims are expected to attend the hearing in Fort Worth, Texas, as lawyers seek to convince Judge Reed O’Connor to reject the plea deal and potentially put Boeing executives on trial.
The case continues to raise questions about Boeing’s transparency and handling of safety issues surrounding the 737 MAX aircraft.
