Report: Feds Launched Probe Into Boeing 737 Max Before Ethiopia Crash

Federal authorities launched a criminal probe into how the Boeing 737 Max was “certified to fly passengers” before the plane's latest crash occurred in Ethiopia, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. The probe by the Transportation Department’s Inspector General’s office was reportedly prompted by a 737 Max crash in Indonesia in late 2017, but has since taken on a “new urgency” after the Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after take off earlier this month and killed 157 people. The Transportation Department's audits and criminal probe are reportedly working in conjunction with the Justice Department—which is also reportedly collecting information about the “development of the 737 Max” through a “grand jury subpoena.” The Transportation Dept., DOJ, and Boeing reportedly declined to comment to Bloomberg. On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration stated that the plane's certification “followed the FAA’s standard certification process” and the agency's process “consistently produced safe aircraft designs.”