Boeing could be prosecuted for two plane crashes. According to the US government, the company violated regulations. The next steps are still being examined.
According to the US Department of Justice, aircraft manufacturer Boeing can be prosecuted for two fatal crashes involving 737 Max aircraft around five years ago. The company violated obligations under an agreement that shielded Boeing from criminal prosecution over the crashes, the ministry said in a letter.
Boeing failed to implement a program designed to prevent violations of U.S. fraud laws, as agreed, court documents said. The US government is still examining how it will proceed in the case. Boeing now has until June 13 to provide an official response. In an initial reaction, the company emphasized that, in its own opinion, it had adhered to the agreement.
Boeing should implement compliance and ethics program
A total of 346 people were killed in crashes involving two 737-Max aircraft in October 2018 and March 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia respectively. According to investigations, one trigger for the accident was software in the aircraft that was supposed to support pilots, but interfered with the controls more than they expected.
Boeing came under criticism because the aircraft manufacturer declared that special training for the software was unnecessary when the type was certified by US authorities. According to the agreement with the US government, Boeing paid a penalty of 243 million dollars (225 million euros).
The allegations in connection with the plane crashes were not pursued further. However, something like a probationary rule applied with the central requirement that Boeing implement a compliance and ethics program. The Ministry of Justice now emphasized that a violation of this could result in criminal prosecution of the company.