Boeing accused of ‘pattern of concealment’ over 737 Max approval

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Dennis Muilenberg is being quizzed over the deadly 737 Max 8 crashes

US lawmakers have accused Boeing of creating a “pattern of deliberate concealment” as it sought approval for its 737 Max 8 model to fly.

The accusation came as Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg was quizzed by the Senate Commerce Committee.

Senators said they had serious concerns that Boeing put profits over safety as it rushed to get clearance.

Two deadly 737 Max 8 crashes killed a total of 346 people. Mr Muilenberg admitted the firm had made “mistakes”.

“We have learned from both accidents and identified changes that need to be made,” he said.

In October last year, a Boeing 737 Max operated by Lion Air crashed, killing all 189 people on board.

Five months later an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed, killing 157, after which the entire 737 Max fleet was grounded.

‘Casualness and flippancy’

US Senator Richard Blumenthal accused Boeing of a “pattern of deliberate concealment” during certification.

Senator Roger Wicker said messages between Boeing staff betrayed “a disturbing level of casualness and flippancy”.

Lawmakers questioned Boeing’s safety tests of the automated control system in the 737 Max 8, known as MCAS, which has been named as a factor in both accidents.

They also criticised the regulatory process, saying there was too much “cosiness” between the firm and safety officials. Mr Blumenthal described the US certification process as “absolutely broken”.

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Family members hold photographs of Boeing 737 Max crash victims

Mr Muilenberg said the firm supported “strong oversight”.

“This should give us pause,” he said,

Since the grounding of the 737 Max fleet, Boeing has said it is fixing software and has overhauled its review procedures.

But senators said the continued delays in re-certification cast serious doubt on the initial approval.

Senator Maria Cantwell asked Boeing whether it was aware of defects in the MCAS system prior to approval, pointing to internal messages between Boeing staff that spoke of “Jedi mind-tricking” regulators.

Mr Muilenberg said he could not elaborate on the messages and had not spoken to their author, who no longer works for Boeing.

Boeing provided the messages to the committee ahead of the testimony.

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