Boeing to avoid prosecution over 737 Max crashes in justice department deal

[erronis]

Source: The Guardian

Airplane giant will pay and invest $1.1bn after misleading US regulators, including $445m for crash victims’ families

The justice department has reached a deal with Boeing that will allow the airplane giant to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading US regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed and killed 346 people, according to court papers filed on Friday.

Under the “agreement in principle” that still needs to be finalized, Boeing would pay and invest more than $1.1bn, including an additional $445m for the crash victims’ families, the justice department said. In return, the department would dismiss the fraud charge in the criminal case against the aircraft manufacturer.

“Ultimately, in applying the facts, the law, and Department policy, we are confident that this resolution is the most just outcome with practical benefits,” a justice department spokesperson said in a statement.

“Nothing will diminish the victims’ losses, but this resolution holds Boeing financially accountable, provides finality and compensation for the families and makes an impact for the safety of future air travelers.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/23/boeing-justice-department-deal-737-crashes

---

Wonder if there wasn't some gratuities paid - after all every one else does it.

[Basso8vb]

1. Bullshit.

The entire BOD should be on trial for murder.

[erronis]

2. Glad you called it what it is: Murder.

Willful, knowledgeable, intentional.

When a country starts to hold the highest level of decision makers responsible for the actions of their companies, then we'll start to see justice.

But as long as justice is administered by the same people/types that run the government/corporations, no justice will ever be served.

[IbogaProject]

8. And this slap on the wrist will weaken international demand for those planes

This isn't a good move which is typical of this bumbling administration run by greedy fools.

[Passages]

3. No criminal prosecution...just money.

Gee, who does that sound like?

[NowsTheTime]

4. Who? ...more fitting to have played Pink Floyd "Money" instead of YMCA

[Passages]

6. It is a club....those who do not go to jail.

Money is at the center, no doubt about it.

[Codifer]

7. After a design flaw

in the DC 10 wide body caused the deaths of a couple hundred folks in a crash shortly after take off from Orly in Paris, McDonnel Douglas first thought was to blame the foreign pilots (Turks). When the truth about the cargo bay door failures was exposed, they contributed heavily to CREEP (remember that one?) they reached a gentleman's agreement to merely put a sign on the plane that advised personnel to "Make Sure Cargo Door is Closed".

McDonnel Douglas Merged with (took over) Boeing and drove it into the ground.

Then, after killing 300 or so folks in the two 737 Max crashes, they first blamed the foreign pilots. Then when the truth of their stupidity and greed and knowingly flawed modification was exposed, they buy their way out again.

And the CEO who put forward these poor decisions and caused these deaths? The government did not even so much as slap his pee pee....... and the company voted him a 40 Million Dollar going away bonus.

Just bidness.

[Passages]

11. Excellent post, thank you.

[erronis]

12. I've heard many reports that the McDonald Douglas merger with Boeing was the failure

Good article on a quick search: https://qz.com/1776080/how-the-mcdonnell-douglas-boeing-merger-led-to-the-737-max-crisis

[EX500rider]

16. "they first blamed the foreign pilots" Which was the case in the 2nd crash

Last edited Sat May 24, 2025, 01:04 PM - Edit history (1)

The procedure to recover the plane was already released but not followed correctly by the Ethiopian pilots, the Co-pilot was woefully inexperienced, leaving the Captain task saturated.
The first officer only had 361 flight hours logged, including only 207 hours on the Boeing 737.

NTSB findings:
Appropriate crew management of the event, per the procedures that existed at the time, would have allowed the crew to recover the airplane even when faced with the uncommanded nose-down inputs.

The BEA also submitted comments to the draft final report
During the accident flight, the flight crew did not make appropriate use of the associated applicable procedures on which he had received training in the preceding months.

The Captain's attempts to engage AP was in contradiction with the Approach to Stall or Stall Recovery maneuver check list, which was expected to be applied in reaction to the stick shaker activation.

Degradation of the CRM which started immediately after the AOA vane failure and which didn't help the crew take the necessary actions to keep the plane under control although they had received an adequate recurrent training on situations that occurred in the accident flight.

The preliminary report asserts that the thrust remained at takeoff setting (94% N1) and the throttles did not move for the entire flight.

They literally just had to switch off the MCAS breaker and use the manual trim wheel.
The full throttle setting made manual trimming near impossible.

[EX500rider]

5. The 1st crash was on them, the 2nd one not so much

The procedure to recover the plane was already released but not followed correctly by the Ethiopian pilots, the Co-pilot was woefully inexperienced, leaving the Captain task saturated.

The first officer, Ahmednur Mohammed, aged 25, had 361 flight hours logged, including 207 hours on the Boeing 737

NTSB findings:

Appropriate crew management of the event, per the procedures that existed at the time, would have allowed the crew to recover the airplane even when faced with the uncommanded nose-down inputs.

During the accident flight, the flight crew did not make appropriate use of the associated applicable procedures on which he had received training in the preceding months.

The Captain's attempts to engage AP was in contradiction with the Approach to Stall or Stall Recovery maneuver check list, which was expected to be applied in reaction to the stick shaker activation.

Degradation of the CRM which started immediately after the AOA vane failure and which didn't help the crew take the necessary actions to keep the plane under control although they had received an adequate recurrent training on situations that occurred in the accident flight.

The preliminary report asserts that the thrust remained at takeoff setting (94% N1) and the throttles did not move for the entire flight.

The full throttle setting made trimming near impossible.

[DENVERPOPS]

9. And people laugh at me when I say:

The United States of America will soon be re-named......The United Corporations of America or

The Corporate Tyranny of America........

The Republican Politicians you see, are the Best Politicians the Corporations can buy.

Orwell had it mostly right in 1984, but it isn't the Government we had to worry about, it was the Corporations that actually control the Government......

All Boeing had to do to get this ruling was to tell Trump they would hurry up on the delivery of the two new AirForceOnes.......

THE worst thing, is that this sets a precedent for future attempted lawsuits. They are already working on obliterating what are called "Class Action" Lawsuits................

As a reminder, recall the precedent the USSC established in 2000 when they usurped the power to over rule the Bush installation in the White House. There was absolutely NOTHING that legally or constitutionally allowed them to intervene. BUT ONCE THEY DID IT, IT OPENED THE DOOR FOR THEM TO HAVE A PRECEDENT TO DO IT ANYTIME IN THE FUTUE......

[Nanjeanne]

10. Corruption at its finest.

[Mysterian]

13. The new administration cares not for dead passengers

only for multi-billion dollar corporations.

[BidenRocks]

14. That is how Chump gets his plane built.

A little settlement extortion.

[Aussie105]

15. "$445m for crash victims' families"

So does this establish the value of any human life, and the precedent that if you can afford to pay a per head death penalty years down the track, it is ok to kill your customers?

I guess the gun industry is exempt from this?
As is Tesla? Any car maker?

[Javaman]

17. aka they paid off the orange ignoramus nt

[travelingthrulife]

18. So Boeing gets away with murder.

How much did they have to pay trump?

[EX500rider]

19. Not sure $80 billion counts as "getting away"

The accidents and grounding cost Boeing an estimated $20 billion in fines, compensation, and legal fees, with indirect losses of more than $60 billion from 1,200 cancelled orders.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737_MAX_groundings