Originally Posted by DeltaboundRedux

2017: Boeing faces criminal charges stemming from KC-767 military contract awards. Fines and jail time for senior Boeing executives. The Boeing Tanker Case

2021: Boeing faced criminal charges relating to the 2 737 MAX crashes. $2.5 billion dollar settlement. US v. The Boeing Company

2024: DOJ opens criminal investigation over the Alaska mid-exit door plug incident. Boeing Plug Door Investigation

Senior executives and CEO's were at one time held criminally liable for their company's malfesence. There was a shift in the early 2000's away from this after the prosecution of executives at Enron caused the collapse not just of Enron but their accounting firm Arthur Andersen went out of business and put almost 30,000 people out of work.

Google "The Holder Doctrine", if you're curious.

The idea was that it was better to fine large corporations huge dollar amounts to punish them instead of causing them to go out of business and put the innocent working stiffs on the street. It's a large part why no bankers went to jail after the 2008 mortgage meltdown.

Is it approriate in this case? I don't know. But unlike financial products where only blanance sheets take a hit and the taxpayers get soaked, commercial airliners being perceived as unsafe tend to have longer lasting consequences.

"Too big to fail, too big to jail" certainly must apply to Boeing, so it's hard to imagine much will change. Maybe it shouldn't. But it's something to watch.

Originally Posted by SonicFlyer

I think that flushing the top leadership was the only way to recover the PR disaster.

Even if these guys changed course and did everything right from here forward I don't think it would be enough to change public opinion. Only a true "fresh start" would be what does it in the minds of the public I think. I could be wrong though...

Originally Posted by TransWorld

Another accounting person heading Boeing? I hope she works to fix the quality problems. But I was hopeful they would name an engineer. The training and culture of most accountants and engineers are worlds appart.

Originally Posted by Hotel Kilo

The Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Techonology conducted an investigation into the FAA and Boeing. They found both culpable. They found whistleblowers from Boeing were retaliated against. The committe focused more so on the role of the FAA as the regulating body to allow the MAX to move forward (it's a 102 page report, donwloadable, not going to get into specifics here).

I know this is a smear Boeing thing, but let's not forget the FAA was in this mud hole as well - almost as deep as Boeing.

Originally Posted by DeltaboundRedux

Indeed.

I fully admit I cherry picked some articles that didn’t present a fair picture.

Fines are one thing, criminal charges are on another level.

The last time I can recall a major airline being hit with criminal charges was back in 1983 against American Airlines for price fixing. (Happy to admit I’m wrong on that as well. It’s a big topic).

So to see Boeing going to court 3 times in under a decade does raise a few eyebrows.

The worst part is I love Boeing and hate to see this.

Originally Posted by Hotel Kilo

The Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Techonology conducted an investigation into the FAA and Boeing. They found both culpable... I know this is a smear Boeing thing, but let's not forget the FAA was in this mud hole as well - almost as deep as Boeing.

Originally Posted by Ice Bear

Serious question - does the FAA have the resources it needs to do its job? When Instrument Gleim questions ask about navaids that were decommissioned decades ago and it takes 6 months for the FAA to get back to someone about a special issuance all because they don't have the funds to hire more personnel, how could they ever hope to overlook all the processes at Boeing?

Originally Posted by PNWFlyer

and is this Boeing’s fault that the Government will not properly fund and staff the FAA?

Originally Posted by PNWFlyer

and is this Boeing’s fault that the Government will not properly fund and staff the FAA?

Originally Posted by Ice Bear

Serious question - does the FAA have the resources it needs to do its job? When Instrument Gleim questions ask about navaids that were decommissioned decades ago and it takes 6 months for the FAA to get back to someone about a special issuance all because they don't have the funds to hire more personnel, how could they ever hope to overlook all the processes at Boeing?