Boeing faces criminal trial after admitting fraud in 737 MAX crashes

Boeing confronts a pivotal moment as it heads toward a federal criminal trial on 23 June 2025, accused of defrauding the FAA in connection with two fatal 737 MAX crashes. These incidents in 2018 and 2019 claimed 346 lives. View from the Wing analyzes.

Initially, Boeing reached a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Justice Department in January 2021, avoiding charges by pledging comprehensive safety reforms. Crucially, Boeing explicitly admitted under this DPA that its executives and employees misled the FAA regarding critical details about the MAX's flight control system (MCAS), directly implicated in both crashes.

However, Boeing breached the agreement following an Alaska Airlines safety incident just before the agreement expired. A subsequent plea deal proposed in July 2024, which included a $455 million fine without admitting responsibility for fatalities, was rejected by a judge due to controversial terms related to diversity commitments and sentencing guidelines.

Facing a scheduled trial with limited defense options, Boeing’s previous admissions significantly weaken its position. The accepted statement of facts explicitly confirmed fraudulent actions, including misleading the FAA—a scenario leaving Boeing vulnerable to extensive civil liabilities from victims' families.

With its defense avenues severely limited, Boeing now likely faces either a damaging guilty plea or intense lobbying to secure a new plea agreement acceptable to the court.