- Federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas related to Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
- According to a Seattle Times report published on Friday, the subpoenas came from the same group of prosecutors investigating the 737 MAX program, which has been under scrutiny following two fatal crashes.
- While the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner programs are two separate entities, Boeing’s overall approach toward safety has been in the spotlight since the March 2019 crash of an Ethiopian Airways 737 MAX 8.
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The US Department of Justice has issued new subpoenas for records from Boeing related to production of the 787 Dreamliner plane, according to a report from the Seattle Times published Friday.
News of the subpoenas comes as Boeing struggles to get its troubled 737 MAX aircraft, which are grounded worldwide, back into service
The DOJ is already conducting a criminal investigation into Boeing’s design and the certification of the 737 MAX aircraft, which has been under intense scrutiny since the crash of an Indonesian Lion Air 737 MAX 8 plane in October 2018. The model has been grounded worldwide since shortly after a second crash, involving an Ethiopian Airlines jet, in March.
According to the Seattle Times, which cites three sources, "a handful" of subpoenas were issued to individuals at Boeing’s North Charleston, South Carolina, 787 production plant earlier this month.
Boeing declined to comment on the legal matter. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.
It was not immediately clear whether any federal investigation of the 787 program is related to the 737 MAX investigation, or whether the subpoenas were related to any part of the design or certification of the Dreamliner. However, one of the sources cited in the Seattle Times’ report said the subpoenas came from the "same group" of prosecutors conducting the criminal probe into the 737 MAX.
A New York Times investigation in April raised claims of shoddy manufacturing practices at the South Carolina plant, such as debris left in planes and pressure to cover up violations.
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See Also:
- It looks like the return of the Boeing 737 Max has been delayed again, and it could still be months until it’s allowed back in the air
- US aviation officials say they found a new potential risk with the Boeing 737 Max plane that could delay its return to service
- Tesla is reportedly trying to make its own battery cells as its relationship with Panasonic becomes more tense
Source: Business Insider – dslotnick@businessinsider.com (David Slotnick)