Sam Salehpour, an engineer at Boeing, told lawmakers that the company is cutting corners in assembling its 787 and 777 jets and claimed his supervisors have retaliated against him for blowing the whistle. (Credit: Senator Hawley Press Office)
The relatives of victims that were killed in two separate plane crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX planes five years ago are asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fine the company the maximum amount under the law and to prosecute the former executives that were in charge at the time.
An attorney representing 15 families who lost loved ones that died in the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 or Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 sent a letter to the DOJ on Wednesday, asking that Boeing face a $24.78 billion fine and that the corporate officials allegedly responsible face criminal charges — including former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who resigned in December 2019.
The families of the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash of the Boeing 737 Max jet held a vigil in front of the US Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, DC on Sept. 10, 2019, the six-month anniversary of the Ethiopian Airlines c (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, in October 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in Ethiopia minutes after departure months later, in March 2019. Both flights involved the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane, and 346 people were killed between the two crashes.
In 2021, Boeing reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the government that shielded the embattled corporation from criminal prosecution linked to the two fatal crashes, but the Justice Department determined in May that the plane manufacturer breached its obligations under that deal. The DOJ said at the time, “The government is determining how it will proceed in this matter.”
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Since then, the victims’ families have ramped up pressure on the government, after spending years seeking justice for their loved ones and to hold Boeing accountable for the victims’ deaths.
Families of Boeing crash victims hold signs outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, June 18, 2024 as Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Investigations Subcommittee he (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The families’ request to the DOJ comes a day after they held a press conference on Capitol Hill ahead of current Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun’s testimony before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations regarding alleged safety concerns over the company’s practices.
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Several victims’ relatives attended the hearing, holding signs with their loved ones’ pictures. At the start of his testimony, Calhoun stood up and addressed the grieving family members, and apologized on behalf of Boeing for their losses.
Relatives of Boeing airplane crash victims demonstrate as Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun (R) arrives to testify during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Investigations Subcommittee hearing to examine “Boeing’s broke (SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Calhoun, who will step down as chief executive at the end of the year but will remain on Boeing’s board, admitted during his testimony that both crashes were Boeing’s fault.
Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing, is sworn in to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on “Boeing’s Broken Safety Culture,” in Hart building on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Getty Images)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | THE BOEING CO. | 174.99 | -3.52 | -1.97% |
Boeing has fallen under increased scrutiny since a door flew off one of its aircraft mid-air during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.
At least a dozen Boeing whistleblowers have come forward citing concerns over the company’s quality assurance and culture since the Alaska Airlines incident, and the plane manufacturer is currently under investigation by multiple federal agencies.
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reached out to Boeing for comment regarding the families of crash victims’ letter to the DOJ, but did not receive a response by the time of publishing.
‘ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
