THE COMPANY that owns Boeing jets is facing criminal investigations that go beyond what had been expected, after debris was found in fuel tanks.
Boeing Co. is being scrutinized for “years of widespread quality-control lapses” on its 737 MAX assembly line, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The WSJ report follows Boeing’s admission in February that it found tools, rags and other debris in the fuel tanks of more than 30 737 MAX planes.
A House committee had already found fault with the company over two crashes that killed 346 people in 2019.
“Both Boeing and the FAA gambled with the public’s safety in the aftermath of the Lion Air crash, resulting in the death of 157 more individuals,” the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee wrote in its 14-page report following the second crash, an Ethiopian Air flight.
The 737 Max was “marred” by technical problems, a lack of transparency among other issues, the committee concluded.
Now, the company, whose CEO resigned following the crashes, may be exposed to greater legal liability than previously anticipated, the WSJ reports.
The 737 Max is Boeing’s best selling airplane, but its image was scarred following the two crashes that took place in less than five months of each other.
In March 2019, the global fleet was grounded.
As part of the probes, Justice Department prosecutors have been looking into other safety problems stemming from the production of 737 MAX planes.
The grand jury probe centers around Boeing staff reportedly told the FAA about problems with the plane before the two crashes.
Both the Justice Department and the FAA have interviewed Ed Pierson, a former Boeing manager who raised red flags to the company.
He told the House Transportation Committee about how Boeing’s push to speed up production allegedly led to “chaos” at the factory.
“Safely returning the 737 MAX to service is our top priority,” Boeing has previously said in a statement.
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