Boeing crash families demand record $25bn fine
Families of the victims from the two Boeing 737 Max plane crashes are demanding prosecutions and a $24.8 billion fine for what they describe as “the deadliest corporate crime in US history.”
Paul Cassell, representing the families, asserted that this substantial sum is justified, highlighting the immense human toll caused by Boeing’s actions. In a detailed 32-page letter obtained by the BBC, Cassell urged the US government to bring charges against Boeing’s top executives during the period when 346 lives were lost in crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The letter referred to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun’s recent apology during his testimony before Congress, where he faced heckling from grieving family members of crash victims. Calhoun expressed regret for the sorrow caused, acknowledging that two 737 Max aircraft had been involved in nearly identical accidents resulting in the loss of 346 lives.
Specifically, in October 2018, a Lion Air flight crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, claiming 189 lives. Then, in March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after departure from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 aboard. Both incidents were linked to faulty flight control systems.
During his Congressional testimony, Calhoun admitted Boeing’s errors and claimed the company had learned from its past mistakes. He also acknowledged Boeing’s mishandling of whistleblowers but emphasized that he had taken steps to address their concerns.
The Justice Department is considering whether to revive a criminal charge of fraud against Boeing laid in 2021, that was linked to the two crashes.
The charge has laid dormant since the company acknowledged in a settlement that it had mislead air-safety regulators about aspects if the 737 Max, and promised to create a new compliance system to detect and prevent further fraud.
Last month, prosecutors determined that the settlement was violated when a door panel flew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage mid-flight.
The Justice Department has until 7 July decide whether to revive the case.
In the letter, Mr Cassell said his clients recommended that the department order a portion of any future fine to be used to create an independent monitor of the company’s safety and compliance measures.
Families of those killed in the crashes attended Tuesday’s hearing in Congress and held up photographs of loved ones.
“I flew from England to Washington DC to hear in person what the Boeing CEO has to say to the Senate and to the world about any safety improvements made at that corporation,” said Zipporah Kuria, whose father was killed in the 2019 crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet.
“I also continue to press the US government to hold Boeing and its corporate executives criminally responsible for the deaths of 346 people. We will not rest until we see justice.”
