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DOJ says it could drop Boeing Crime Fraud Cases, which exceed the 737’s Maximum Crash

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The Justice Department said no final decision has been made yet.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said it could drop Boeing’s criminal charges for allegations that the company deceived federal regulators ahead of the two 737 biggest crashes that killed 346 people.

In an application on May 17, the DOJ said government officials would meet with the victims’ families who fell crash the day before to discuss a potential pretrial resolution that would dismiss the denial of criminal fraud charges against the aerospace giant.

The department informed the families that no final decisions were made. He also said the family consistently advocated public trials and opposed the motion to dismiss the case.

Boeing faces accusations of criminal fraud conspiracy resulting from the two 737 maximum crashes that occurred within five months of each other. One is located in Indonesia’s coast in October 2018, and the other in Ethiopia in May 2019.

Investigators linked both crashes to a flight control system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Enhancement System (MCAS).

It is designed to automatically push down the flat nose if the sensor detects stall. MCAS relies on inputs from a single attack sensor. In both accidents, the incorrect sensor readings activate the MCAS and sent the aircraft to the dive that the pilot couldn’t recover.

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Boeing removed information about MCAS features from the draft of the 737 Max flight manual, according to a 2019 report by the Technical Review of the Joint Authorities, a panel of experts for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other international aviation regulators. As a result, the FAA personnel responsible for certifying the aircraft’s design were “not fully aware of the MCAS functions” and “not in a position to properly assess” the level of pilot training required to meet safety needs.
The omission later said that manuals and pilot training materials for aircraft used by US-based airlines “have lacked information on MCAS.”

In 2021, Boeing reached a $2.5 billion settlement with DOJ, avoiding prosecution. The agreement included $243.6 million in criminal fines and commitments from Boeing to improve compliance and safety programs.

In May 2024, prosecutors alleged that Boeing violated the terms of the agreement by failing to implement the promised reforms designed to prevent violations of the federal anti-combustion laws. In response, Boeing agreed to a guilty plea deal last July. This includes an additional $243.6 million fine, $455 million for improved safety and compliance over the next three years, and surveillance by government-designated independent monitors.

That plea deal was rejected in December by US District Judge Reed O’Connor of Fort Worth, Texas.

The judge has been troubled with the independent monitor selection process, saying government and Boeing’s diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) policies could affect choices by racial and other diversity factors. He also criticized the agreement to exclude the court from any role in the appointment of the monitor.

“It’s fair to say that the government’s attempts have failed to comply with failings. At this point, the public interest requires the court to intervene,” O’Connor said by refusing to do so. “The judicial agreement undermines public confidence in Boeing’s probation, thus alienating the courts in choosing and monitoring independent monitors.”
The case exam is currently scheduled to begin on June 23rd.

Boeing and the Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.



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