Key Takeaways
- Boeing avoids criminal conspiracy charges for 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people
- Company agrees to $1.1 billion in fines, victim compensation, and safety improvements
- Federal judge criticizes deal but allows dismissal, citing legal constraints
- Case centered on flight-control software that caused two fatal crashes
A federal judge in Texas has dismissed criminal conspiracy charges against Boeing over two 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people. The ruling allows Boeing to avoid trial through a settlement requiring $1.1 billion in penalties and safety commitments.
Judge Reed O’Connor approved the Justice Department’s request to drop the case despite expressing concerns about accountability. “The deal fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public,” O’Connor wrote in his Thursday ruling.
Financial Penalties and Safety Measures
As part of the agreement, Boeing will pay or invest $1.1 billion covering fines, victim compensation, and internal safety programs. The company also secured the right to choose its own compliance consultant rather than accepting an independent monitor.
The Justice Department argued that proceeding to trial risked a jury verdict that might spare Boeing from further punishment. Prosecutors had alleged Boeing deceived regulators about a flight-control system implicated in both crashes.
Victim Families Divided
While the Justice Department stated that families of 110 victims supported or didn’t oppose the settlement, nearly 100 families actively fought against it. During an emotional September hearing, relatives traveled from Europe and Africa to plead for a trial.
“Do not allow Boeing to buy its freedom,” said Catherine Berthet, who lost her daughter Camille Geoffroy in the Ethiopia crash. More than a dozen family members spoke at the hearing urging appointment of a special prosecutor.
The MCAS System at the Heart of the Tragedy
The case centered on Boeing’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) software developed for the 737 Max. The aircraft was marketed as Boeing’s response to Airbus’s fuel-efficient models, promoted as requiring minimal pilot training.
However, Boeing made significant changes it downplayed, including the automated flight-control system not mentioned in manuals. Most pilots were unaware of MCAS, which repeatedly forced both crashed planes’ noses down based on faulty sensor readings.
Investigators found Boeing didn’t inform key FAA personnel about software changes before regulators certified the aircraft and set training requirements.
The first civil trial over the Ethiopia crash began Wednesday in Chicago, where a jury will determine compensation for one victim’s family. The global 737 Max fleet was grounded for 20 months following the second crash.
