The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has informed a federal judge that Boeing violated the terms of its 2021 settlement agreement.
This settlement previously allowed Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for defrauding federal regulators regarding the 737 Max's automated flight control system (MCAS) after crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people.
Boeing is alleged to have failed in its obligation to implement specific safety culture, quality assurance, and compliance improvements mandated by the agreement.
Boeing denies the allegation and has until June 13 to respond, after which the DOJ will decide whether to pursue criminal prosecution, a development hoped for by the victims' families.
More trouble is on approach for Boeing as, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, the aircraft manufacturer violated terms of a settlement that allowed it to avoid criminal prosecution after 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
