NEW YORK – Boeing executives are unlikely to face criminal charges in connection with the deadly crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019 because the statute of limitations has likely expired, Justice Department officials said in a meeting with victims’ families.
The details were confirmed by a person familiar with Friday’s rally and by documents seen by Reuters.
Most federal crimes have a five-year limit.
Department of Justice found In mid-May, it was announced that Boeing had violated a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that exonerated the company from criminal charges stemming from the fatal crashes.
Authorities agreed to ask a judge to dismiss charges of conspiring to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as long as Boeing complies with the terms of the agreement for three years, through Jan. 7, 2024.
But two days before the contract deadline, an explosion on board a plane revealed ongoing safety and quality issues. A panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft exploded during an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5.
Boeing has until June 13 to announce its appeal against the Defense Department’s determination that it violated the 2021 agreement.
The agency has until July 7 to notify a federal judge in Texas of its plans.
“We have honored the terms of the agreement,” Boeing said in a statement Saturday.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Boeing’s ongoing aircraft fiasco
Boeing has been plagued by safety concerns recently, starting with the blown-off door panel of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet during a flight from Oregon to California on January 5. The plane, operated by Alaska Airlines, appeared to be missing four key bolts, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has warned that the airline will avoid doing business with Boeing after the Alaska Airlines door explosion caused the airline to ground its MAX 9 planes.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, warned that a Boeing 737 Max 9 door explosion in mid-air “could happen again”, adding that there were “problems with the process” in production.
A week after the first incident, disaster struck again when a Boeing plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan after a cockpit window was cracked.
In late January, a Boeing 757 was preparing to depart for an international flight when its nosewheel came off. At Atlanta International Airport, a Delta Airlines flight bound for Bogota, Colombia, had crossed the runway and was heading for takeoff when another plane called the control tower to report the abnormality.
Then, as seen in the shocking photos, a British passenger was surprised when he noticed tape on the outside of a Boeing 787 during a flight to India.
A United Airlines Boeing 777-300 plane suffered an airborne fuel leak on Monday, March 11, forcing it to make an emergency landing, marking the fifth accident the airline has reported in just over a week.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary previously said he had “complained loudly” to Boeing about quality control.
Whistleblower John Barnett, who raised safety concerns at the airline’s factories and gave his first testimony in a stunning lawsuit against Boeing, failed to show up for the second half of his testimony on Monday and was found dead in his truck.
The department is considering several options, including whether to prosecute Boeing or extend the DPA for one year. The department could also enter into a new DPA or reach a non-prosecution agreement that does not involve court supervision.
Authorities also could consider negotiating a plea deal with Boeing over the 2021 fraud charges or taking the company to trial.
Prosecutors told the victims’ families that Boeing could be prosecuted for actions during the three-year period of the DPA, but that authorities have found no evidence that any serious crimes were committed during that time, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
The victims’ families are considering asking authorities to impose stiffer sentences if Boeing is indicted and convicted, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
At the meeting, Justice Department officials said they did not believe they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt any violations of federal law or fraud involving the aircraft parts, the people added.
