Case studies
Boeing 737 MAX
FAA Airworthiness Directives + NTSB crash investigations + DOJ deferred prosecution + SEC + USAspending contracts — all in one cross-agency view.
2018–present
FAA
NTSB
DOJ
SEC
USAspending
Two crashes (Lion Air 610, Ethiopian 302) killed 346 people and grounded the 737 MAX worldwide for 20 months. Boeing pled guilty to fraud against the FAA in 2024 after the DOJ Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) was reinstated. The full regulatory paper trail spans FAA Airworthiness Directives, NTSB accident reports, DOJ criminal case, SEC enforcement, congressional hearings, and ongoing USAspending DOD contracts.
Live cross-agency timeline:
/entity/BA
— one API call returns every regulatory event for this entity across 21+ verticals.
The FAA paper trail
FAA's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was the root cause. Airworthiness Directives 2018-23-51 (emergency) and follow-ups mandated software fixes. NTSB's safety recommendations became part of the eventual return-to-service.
The DOJ criminal case
Boeing was charged with fraud against the FAA in 2021, signed a DPA, then breached it after the 2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug incident, leading to a guilty plea. Track ongoing DOJ press for any new Boeing-related actions.
SEC enforcement
SEC charged Boeing and its former CEO with making misleading public statements about the MAX. Settled for $200M (Boeing) and $1M (Muilenburg) in 2022.
USAspending: DOD continues buying
Despite the MAX crisis, Boeing remains a top-5 federal contractor. Defense Department awards continue across F/A-18, KC-46, AH-64, and space programs.