Criminal Investigation of Boeing 737 Max Certification Under Way
The Seattle Times reported March 20 that the FBI has joined a criminal investigation into the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX that is being conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation agents
The Seattle Times reported March 20 that the FBI has joined a criminal investigation into the FAA's certification of the Boeing 737 MAX that is being conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation agents, with the newspaper's story citing unidentified "people familiar with the matter." The story by Steve Miletich, a Seattle Times staff reporter, said a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., is looking into the certification process that approved the safety of the Boeing aircraft, after the second fatal crash.
His story says the investigation is being overseen by the Justice Department's criminal division and carried out by DOT's Inspector General, and that it began in response to information obtained after the first crash -- a Lion Air 737 MAX 8 that crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Oct. 29, 2018, killing 189 people.
The story cites The Associated Press as having reported this week that the grand jury issued a subpoena March 11 for information from someone involved in the plane's development. An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 had crashed near Addis Ababa, killing 157 people, the day before.