Boeing Max crash passengers’ families ruled crime victims

Families of passengers killed in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets were deemed by a federal judge to be official crime victims entitled to consultation before the US Justice Department cuts any deals with the maker of the flawed aircraft.

US District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas said in a ruling he will now determine what remedies the families should receive because federal prosecutors failed to consult with them prior to cutting a plea deal with Boeing Co. in January 2021.

The deal itself, in which the company agreed to pay $2.5 billion, including a $243.6 million penalty, is now in jeopardy of unravelling. With the order, Boeing and its executives could face new criminal charges or penalties, lawyers for the families contend.

“Justice for the victims who lost their lives and their families due to Boeing’s greed has been delayed long enough,” said Paul G. Cassel, an attorney for the families and a law professor at the University of Utah. “This decision sets the stage for a pivotal hearing, where we will present proposed remedies that will allow criminal prosecution to hold Boeing fully accountable.”

O’Connor granted the families crime-victim status after a protracted court fight. Prosecutors claimed the crime to which Boeing pleaded guilty — defrauding federal regulators about extent of pilot training needed to address changes in the 737 Max’s guidance software — didn’t touch on the passengers’ deaths.

The families claimed that without underlying deception, pilots would have been properly trained and could have avoided crashes, which killed 189 in Indonesia and 157 in Ethiopia in 2019.

—Bloomberg