Washington, D.C. – Boeing faces sanctions after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that the company violated regulations by disclosing information about the investigation into the incident involving the 737 Max 9 door panel. The NTSB accused Boeing of speculating on the cause of the event and releasing investigative information prematurely, which had not been approved for public disclosure.
The incident occurred on an Alaska Airlines Flight on January 5, where a door panel blew out while the aircraft was at 16,000 feet. As a result, Boeing has come under scrutiny, with concerns raised about the safety of other aircraft models. Multiple federal investigations are currently ongoing to assess the safety protocols and procedures within Boeing’s commercial airplanes division.
In a statement, the NTSB clarified that its focus is on determining the probable cause of the accident, rather than assigning blame to individuals. However, Boeing’s actions have been deemed as a violation of the agreement it signed at the beginning of the investigation, leading to sanctions being imposed.
Boeing has been a key contributor to many NTSB investigations, but the recent breach of protocol has resulted in the company being restricted from accessing investigative information moving forward. The NTSB is demanding a transcript of the media briefing where Boeing provided non-public investigative details and offered opinions on causal factors of the accident.
As a response to Boeing’s actions, the NTSB will subpoena the company to appear at an investigative hearing in Washington on August 6 and 7. Additionally, the Justice Department’s Fraud Division will be involved in investigating the unauthorized release of information by Boeing and its potential impact on the ongoing investigation.
Furthermore, Boeing is also facing accusations of violating a deferred prosecution agreement related to the 737 Max crashes. The company maintains that it has followed the terms of the agreement, but the NTSB and DOJ will continue to closely monitor Boeing’s compliance and transparency throughout the investigation process.