The coverage ends.

The story doesn’t.

We do 2 things.

We follow up.

We follow-up story timelines. Then read them to you.

Like a car radio.

Our app is a wheel-controllable audio player. That brings you current news and story wraps.

Just play.

We adjust the radio to your interest, while offering browsing.

Welcome to AfterReader.

Download the application now.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
STORYSTONESTIMELINE
Request a story...

The coverage ends. The story doesn’t.

Current events stone within 3 weeks

See all

Resurfaced

See all

Themes

AfterReads

See all

Add a Stone

Found something the coverage missed? Paste the article and attach it to a story.

AfterReader.com

Kérdezz vissza a történetre

A tudósítás véget ér. A történet nem.

vagy

A folytatással elfogadod az Általános Szerződési Feltételeket.

BM

The Boeing 737 MAX: Two Crashes, a Global Grounding, and an Unresolved Reckoning

How a concealed flight-control software led to 346 deaths, a prosecution that collapsed, and a safety culture still under scrutiny

26 stones

Add a Stone

The Boeing 737 MAX: Two Crashes, a Global Grounding, and an Unresolved Reckoning

In two crashes five months apart, three hundred and forty-six people died aboard Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Investigators found that a concealed flight-control system called MCAS pushed both planes into the ground, and that pilots had never been told it existed. Boeing eventually admitted a conspiracy to defraud its own regulator — yet nearly nine years on, the company has not been criminally convicted of anything.

2017
2017-03-08

The FAA granted Boeing an amended type certificate for the 737 MAX 8, the first variant certified, with MCAS described only minimally in pilot documentation.

On the eighth of March, two thousand and seventeen, the FAA granted Boeing an amended type certificate for the 737 MAX 8. According to the House Committee's later investigation, MCAS was not disclosed to pilots in their flight manuals, and FAA managers were never fully informed of how Boeing had expanded the system's authority.

2017-05-01

The 737 MAX entered revenue passenger service with Malindo Air, two months after FAA certification.

Two months later, in May of that year, the 737 MAX began carrying paying passengers with Malaysian carrier Malindo Air. MCAS remained unknown to every line pilot who flew it.

2018
2018-10-29

Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.

On the twenty-ninth of October, two thousand and eighteen, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea thirteen minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all one hundred and eighty-nine people on board. According to Indonesia's accident investigation, a faulty angle-of-attack sensor triggered repeated MCAS nose-down commands. The crew, never told MCAS existed, lost control.

2018-11-01

Boeing and the FAA began post-accident reviews of MCAS after the Lion Air crash, but the MAX fleet was not grounded.

In November, Boeing and the FAA reviewed MCAS but did not ground the fleet. The FAA issued a directive telling crews to follow existing runaway-stabiliser procedures — a procedure that assumed pilots knew what was fighting them.

2019
2019-03-10

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed near Bishoftu six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board.

On the tenth of March, two thousand and nineteen, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed near Bishoftu six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all one hundred and fifty-seven on board. According to the accident investigation bureau's final report, MCAS again activated on false sensor data and repeatedly pitched the nose down against the crew's inputs.

2019-03-13

The FAA ordered the grounding of all US-registered 737 MAX aircraft, following China, the EU, Canada and dozens of other regulators who had already acted.

On the thirteenth of March, the FAA ordered all US-registered MAX aircraft grounded — but it was not first. China had acted on the eleventh, followed by the European Union and Canada. Within a week, roughly fourteen hundred daily MAX flights had fallen to zero worldwide.

2020
2020-09-16

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released its 238-page final report attributing the two crashes to Boeing's concealment, faulty MCAS design, production pressures, and grossly insufficient FAA oversight.

On the sixteenth of September, two thousand and twenty, the House Transportation Committee published its final report, calling the crashes a horrific culmination of faulty engineering assumptions, a lack of transparency by Boeing's management, and grossly insufficient FAA oversight. It found that mentions of MCAS had been removed from pilot manuals entirely.

2020-11-18

The FAA rescinded its grounding order for the 737 MAX after Boeing redesigned MCAS to use both AoA sensors and mandatory simulator training was introduced for pilots.

On the eighteenth of November, the FAA lifted the grounding. Boeing had redesigned MCAS to draw on both angle-of-attack sensors, limited it to a single activation per event, and capped its total authority. Mandatory simulator training was added — something Boeing had successfully resisted during original certification.

2021
2021-01-07

Boeing and the US Department of Justice entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement under which Boeing paid $2.5 billion and admitted a conspiracy to defraud the FAA, with criminal charges to be dismissed if Boeing committed no new violations

On the seventh of January, two thousand and twenty-one, Boeing and the Justice Department signed a deferred prosecution agreement. Boeing paid two-point-five billion dollars and admitted conspiring to defraud the FAA. If it committed no new violations over three years, the criminal charge would be dismissed. The DOJ negotiated the deal without notifying victims' families as required by federal law.

2021-01-27

EASA cleared the modified 737 MAX to return to service in European airspace, mandating software upgrades, electrical wiring rework, and updated crew training.

Later that January, EASA cleared the modified MAX to return to European skies, independently of Boeing and the FAA, requiring software upgrades, wiring rework, and updated crew training.

2021-12-16

Fifteen victims' families filed motions in the Northern District of Texas challenging the DPA as a violation of the Crime Victims' Rights Act, arguing the DOJ secretly cut the deal without consulting them.

On the sixteenth of December, fifteen families filed motions in federal court in Texas arguing the Justice Department had secretly cut the DPA without consulting them, violating the Crime Victims' Rights Act. They sought Boeing's arraignment and access to evidence.

2022
2022-10-21

Judge O'Connor ruled that the 346 crash victims are legally 'crime victims' under the CVRA and that the DOJ had not complied with its obligations when it secretly negotiated the DPA.

On the twenty-first of October, two thousand and twenty-two, Judge O'Connor ruled that the three hundred and forty-six victims are legally crime victims under federal law and that the DOJ had violated its obligations. He ordered Boeing arraigned on the felony fraud charge. Boeing pleaded not guilty.

2023
2023-12-18

The Fifth Circuit ruled that families' petition to challenge the DPA was premature, holding the appropriate moment for challenge was when parties moved to dismiss the charges.

On the eighteenth of December, two thousand and twenty-three, the Fifth Circuit ruled the families' challenge had been premature — but confirmed that CVRA violations could still provide grounds to refuse dismissal of the charges when the time came.

2024
2024-01-05

A door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 during climb out of Portland, causing rapid decompression; no fatalities but several injuries.

On the fifth of January, two thousand and twenty-four, a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 as it climbed through fourteen thousand feet over Portland. No one died, but the NTSB found four retaining bolts were missing — removed during Boeing factory rework and never reinstalled.

2024-01-06

The FAA capped Boeing 737 MAX production at 38 aircraft per month and launched a comprehensive audit of Boeing's manufacturing processes and supply chain.

The next day, the sixth of January, the FAA capped MAX production at thirty-eight aircraft per month and launched a full audit of Boeing's manufacturing processes and supply chain.

2024-05-14

The DOJ notified Boeing that it had breached the 2021 DPA by failing to implement adequate compliance and safety measures, making the company subject to criminal prosecution.

On the fourteenth of May, the DOJ notified Boeing it had breached the 2021 agreement by failing to implement adequate compliance and safety measures, making the company again subject to criminal prosecution.

2024-07-07

Boeing agreed in principle to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the MAX certification, according to the charges.

On the seventh of July, Boeing agreed in principle to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, with fines of up to four hundred and eighty-seven million dollars. Victims' families immediately called it a sweetheart deal that failed to reflect three hundred and forty-six deaths.

2024-12-01

Judge O'Connor rejected the July 2024 plea agreement, finding its terms were not in the public interest, citing concerns about the selection process for the independent compliance monitor.

In December, Judge O'Connor rejected that plea agreement, finding it was not in the public interest. Boeing was neither convicted nor exonerated, and the incoming Trump administration inherited the case with full authority to renegotiate.

2025
2025-05-18

The DOJ, under the Trump administration, indicated it intended to drop the criminal fraud charge against Boeing in exchange for a new non-prosecution agreement requiring additional payments but no conviction.

On the eighteenth of May, the Justice Department announced it would drop the criminal charge in exchange for a new non-prosecution agreement. Boeing would pay an additional two hundred and forty-three million dollars in penalties and four hundred and forty-four million to victims' families, but face no conviction. Families vehemently opposed it.

2025-09-01

The FAA restored Boeing's limited authority to self-issue airworthiness certificates for some 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, a partial reversal of the authority stripped after the 2019 crashes.

In September, the FAA restored Boeing's limited authority to self-issue airworthiness certificates for some MAX and 787 aircraft — authority stripped after the two thousand and nineteen crashes — describing the restoration as conditional on sustained quality performance.

2025-09-03

Victims' families appeared before Judge O'Connor in Fort Worth to oppose the new non-prosecution agreement, arguing it preemptively barred prosecution even before the court ruled.

On the third of September, thirty-one victims' families appeared before Judge O'Connor in Fort Worth to oppose the non-prosecution agreement. They told the court the deal violated judicial-review rules and dishonored the dead. Families noted they had been unable to secure a single meeting with the Attorney General despite months of requests.

2025-10-17

The FAA raised the 737 MAX production cap from 38 to 42 aircraft per month after extensive inspections found Boeing had made sufficient quality improvements.

On the seventeenth of October, the FAA raised the production cap from thirty-eight to forty-two aircraft per month, saying inspectors had found sufficient quality improvements on Boeing's lines.

2025-11-06

Judge O'Connor dismissed the criminal conspiracy charge against Boeing at the DOJ's request, expressing disagreement with the decision but concluding case law prevented him from blocking it.

On the sixth of November, Judge O'Connor dismissed the criminal conspiracy charge at the Justice Department's request. He said the families' arguments were compelling and that he personally disagreed the dismissal served the public interest — but that precedent left him no choice. Boeing walked away without a criminal conviction for the deaths of three hundred and forty-six people.

2025-11-13

Families filed a writ of mandamus with the Fifth Circuit seeking to reverse Judge O'Connor's dismissal of the criminal charge against Boeing.

On the thirteenth of November, families filed an emergency petition with the Fifth Circuit asking it to reverse the dismissal and enforce their rights under the Crime Victims' Rights Act.

2026
2026-03-31

The Fifth Circuit unanimously upheld dismissal of the criminal case, ruling the DOJ had not violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act and that the charge could not be revived.

On the thirty-first of March, two thousand and twenty-six, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit unanimously upheld the dismissal. The court found the Justice Department had met its obligations under the Crime Victims' Rights Act. Families' attorney Paul Cassell called the ruling badly flawed, saying Boeing had escaped criminal accountability for three hundred and forty-six deaths. The criminal case is now closed.

2026-05-31

The FAA approved a further increase in 737 MAX production to 47 aircraft per month, with Boeing's CEO indicating the 737-7 and -10 variants were in the final stages of certification.

On the thirty-first of May, the FAA approved a further production increase to forty-seven MAX aircraft per month. Boeing's chief executive said the MAX 7 and MAX 10 variants, still uncertified, were expected to receive their certificates before the end of the year.

Boeing was never convicted of a crime in connection with the deaths of three hundred and forty-six people. The company paid roughly two-point-five billion dollars across various agreements — less than it earned in a single profitable quarter before the crashes. Production is rising, new variants are nearing certification, and the FAA's oversight is described as improved. What has not changed is this: the families were never consulted when the original deal was made, and every legal avenue they pursued to change that ended the same way.

SOURCES
  1. FAA raises Boeing 737 Max production cap to 42 a month cnbc.com
  2. Victims' Rights May Have More of an Impact on Future Corporate Settlements With the U.S. Government sidley.com
  3. Judge dismisses Boeing criminal case over 737 Max crashes at DOJ request despite skepticism cnbc.com
  4. Boeing's Deferred Prosecution Agreement In Question After Court Rules 737 Max Crash Victims' Families May Assert Rights foleyhoag.com
  5. Victims of Boeing Crash Lose Appeal in Federal Court cliffordlaw.com
  6. Fifth Circuit Rules that Victims' Families' Challenge to the Boeing Deferred Prosecution Agreement is 'Premature' reason.com
  7. US Appeals Court Denies Bid From Families of Boeing 737 Max Crash Victims to Reopen Criminal Case usnews.com
  8. Door plug that blew off Alaska Airlines plane in-flight found in backyard cbsnews.com
  9. Victims of Boeing Crash Lose Appeal in Federal Court cliffordlaw.com
  10. FAA & Boeing Scrutinized Amid Alaska Airlines Door Plug Blowout Probe simpleflying.com
  11. Final Committee Report: The Design, Development & Certification of the Boeing 737 MAX govinfo.gov
  12. FAA approves Boeing 737 MAX production increase to 47 aircraft monthly lynnwoodtimes.com
  13. Updates on Boeing 737-9 MAX Aircraft faa.gov
  14. Lion Air Flight 610 en.wikipedia.org
  15. Boeing may be prosecuted after breaking safety agreement that prevented criminal charges for 737 crashes, US DOJ says cnn.com
  16. Aircraft Accident Investigation Report B737-MAX 8, ET-AVJ bea.aero
  17. US judge should reject Boeing plea deal, crash victim families say aol.com
  18. Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 en.wikipedia.org
  19. Boeing plea deal related to Max crashes rejected by judge aol.com
  20. Boeing 737 MAX groundings en.wikipedia.org
  21. Boeing MAX8 Crash Victims Families to Meet in Judge September cliffordlaw.com
  22. After 18-Month Investigation, Chairs DeFazio and Larsen Release Final Committee Report on Boeing 737 MAX democrats-transportation.house.gov
  23. After months of limits, FAA allows Boeing to increase Max production spokesman.com
  24. Victims' Families of MAX8 Crashes File Motion to Oppose DOJ New Non-Prosecution Agreement with Boeing cliffordlaw.com
  25. Boeing Reaches Agreement with Department of Justice boeing.mediaroom.com
  26. Families of Boeing MAX8 Crash Victims to Appear Before Federal Judge September 3 cliffordlaw.com
  27. EASA declares Boeing 737 MAX safe to return to service in Europe easa.europa.eu
  28. Boeing wins FAA approval to raise 737 MAX production rate aerotime.aero
  29. A Crime Victims' Rights Act Challenge to the Boeing 737 MAX Crashes Deferred Prosecution Agreement reason.com
  30. Boeing Allowed to Increase 737 Max Production flyingmag.com
  31. FAA OKs Increase in Boeing 737 Max Production advancedmanufacturing.org
  32. Judge O'Connor Rules that the Boeing 737 MAX Crashes Victims' Families Represent Protected "Crime Victims" and Can Seek Boeing's Prosecution reason.com
PLAYLIST
AR

 

 

20002026
15 stones
0:00--:--
AR   0:00/--:--
0:00--:--