Washington, August 15 (FFN) – The U.S. Department of Justice has officially endorsed a settlement agreement that imposes a $487.2 million fine on Boeing in connection with the fatal crashes of its 737 MAX aircraft. This decision is part of a broader effort to hold the aerospace giant accountable for its role in two devastating incidents that claimed 346 lives.
The settlement agreement, announced late Tuesday, requires Boeing to pay the maximum statutory fine in addition to the billions the company has already paid as part of a 2021 settlement and ongoing civil litigation. The Justice Department emphasized that this agreement does not grant Boeing immunity from liability for other potential misconduct, specifically citing an ongoing investigation into a separate incident involving Alaska Airlines.
The crashes in question occurred in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019, leading to a global grounding of the 737 MAX fleet and intense scrutiny of Boeing’s safety practices. Relatives of the victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the settlement, arguing that the penalties imposed on Boeing should be even more severe. They had previously called for the settlement to be rejected, pushing for a higher financial penalty and more stringent accountability measures.
As part of the settlement, Boeing admitted to criminal conspiracy charges for providing misleading information to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about critical software on the 737 MAX. The Department of Justice acknowledged that Boeing knowingly misled regulators, but noted that it was unable to conclusively prove that these actions directly caused the crashes.
The ongoing investigation into the January 2024 emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, which was forced to land after a side panel detached mid-flight, further complicates Boeing’s legal challenges and underscores ongoing concerns about the safety of its aircraft.
Here’s a table of significant Boeing aircraft crashes similar in severity or impact to the 737 MAX incidents:
| Date | Location | Aircraft Model | Airline | Casualties | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27, 1977 | Tenerife, Spain | Boeing 747-121 | Pan Am / KLM | 583 | Runway collision due to communication error and poor visibility |
| July 19, 1989 | Sioux City, Iowa, USA | Boeing DC-10-10 | United Airlines | 111 | Engine failure leading to loss of hydraulic controls |
| July 17, 1996 | East Moriches, New York, USA | Boeing 747-131 | TWA (Trans World) | 230 | Explosion of center fuel tank, likely due to short circuit |
| September 11, 2001 | New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, USA | Boeing 767-223ER / 757-223 | American Airlines / United Airlines | 2,977 | Terrorist hijacking and deliberate crashes |
| August 14, 2005 | Grammatiko, Greece | Boeing 737-31S | Helios Airways | 121 | Cabin depressurization leading to loss of consciousness of crew |
| June 1, 2009 | Atlantic Ocean | Boeing 737-8EH | Air France | 228 | Loss of control in cruise due to pitot tube icing and pilot error |
| March 8, 2014 | South China Sea | Boeing 777-200ER | Malaysia Airlines | 239 | Disappearance under mysterious circumstances, possibly due to deliberate act |
| March 24, 2015 | French Alps, France | Boeing A320-211 | Germanwings | 150 | Deliberate crash by co-pilot |
| October 29, 2018 | Java Sea, Indonesia | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | Lion Air | 189 | Faulty sensor triggering MCAS system, leading to uncontrollable dive |
| March 10, 2019 | Bishoftu, Ethiopia | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | Ethiopian Airlines | 157 | Similar MCAS-related issue to Lion Air crash |
This table highlights major crashes involving Boeing aircraft, focusing on those with significant casualties or where technical or mechanical failures played a crucial role.
