Boeing Blowout Came Hours Before Expiry of US Deal on 737 Max

Last week’s accident involving a Boeing Co. 737 Max 9 not only resulted in the grounding of scores of jets, but could complicate a deferred prosecution agreement that Boeing struck with the Justice Department in 2021 that was set to expire over the weekend.

That deal resolved a probe into Boeing following the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March of 2019, which together killed 346 passengers and crew. The agreement allowed the DOJ to dismiss a criminal charge against Boeing if the company demonstrated that it had beefed up its ...