Boeing, victims' lawyers agree to hold conference call over access to 737 MAX documents

Boeing Co and lawyers representing the families of the victims that were killed in an Ethiopian Airlines crash agreed to hold a conference with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) over access to documents related to the grounded MAX 737. According to reports, Boeing had earlier resisted sharing the documents sought by the lawyers saying that the NTSB is restricting the release of the documents under international guidelines on crash probes.

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As per reports, the lawyers seeking the documents are asking why the Boeing continued flying the MAX 737 after the first crash. The documents are important for assessing liability and punitive damages by Boeing. The Conference call with NTSB assistant general counsel Benjamin Allen was scheduled for February 20. 

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Grounded 737 MAX flights

Boeing 737 MAX flights were grounded after two back to back crashes in the span of five months. A Lion Airline plane carrying 189 passengers crashed into the sea moments after take-off in October 2018. Then in March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 157 people on board. Three days after the March crash, the United States' FAA temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft.

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Boeing had confirmed software glitch in the grounded 737 MAX, which was once the fastest-selling aircraft for the company. According to media reports, the company said that the software issue involves indicator light staying longer than intended. The indicator light is associated with the stabilizer trim system, which raises and lowers the plane's nose. As per reports, Boeing was planning to return its grounded flights back to service in mid-2020 but that seems a far fetched idea now as fresh issues were raised by US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which has halted the plane for few more months. 

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