Lawyers representing the families of the victims of the two 737 Max crashes stated on Sunday that U.S. prosecutors have requested Boeing to plead guilty to charges related to the incidents. The proposed plea deal has been criticized as a “sweetheart deal” by the attorneys. It remains uncertain whether Boeing will accept the plea deal.
The U.S. Justice Department announced in May that it was investigating whether Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement that shielded the company from federal charges. Under the settlement, Boeing had agreed to pay a $2.5 billion fine for its role in a conspiracy related to the crashes of the 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the deaths of 346 individuals.
The Justice Department reconsidered the agreement after an incident where a door panel on a new 737 Max 9 exploded during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. This sparked a new safety and quality control crisis for Boeing, one of the leading commercial aircraft suppliers globally. Boeing had previously admitted that two of its pilots had deceived the FAA by hiding the introduction of a new flight-control system to the planes before they were commercially available. This system was later found to be linked to the two crashes.
The potential plea deal with Boeing is under scrutiny for its leniency, considering the severity of the incidents and the loss of lives involved. The families of the victims and their legal representatives are pushing for accountability and justice for those affected by the crashes. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for Boeing and its reputation as a trusted provider of commercial aircraft.