Boeing concealed electrical faults in 737 Max, claims ex-staff

The new documents talk about issues in 737 Max, which was launched in 2019. Two Boeing jets had crashed in 2018 and 2019. While the first one was off Indonesia, the second of its type that crashed shortly after take-off in Addis Ababa in March 2019. (AP file photo)

In fresh trouble for aviation giant Boeing, a foundation led by a former staff has accused the company of concealing critical electric issues in the 737 Max jet, which suffered crash in Ethiopia back in 2019.

The Foundation for Aviation Safety, led by ex-Boeing manager Ed Pierson, has published several documents that show Boing passenger jet had issues such as "uncommanded roll" at low altitude. The findings, which were published in a BBC report, claimed that over 1,000 planes currently flying are likely to be at the risk of electrical faults due to similar production issues.

The new documents talk about issues in 737 Max, which was launched in 2019. Two Boeing jets had crashed in 2018 and 2019. While the first one was off Indonesia, the second of its type that crashed shortly after take-off in Addis Ababa in March 2019.

Pierson has consistently argued that significant production problems at the factory were a major factor in the two crashes—a claim that Boeing has consistently denied.

The official investigation into the Ethiopian crash, conducted by the country’s Accident Investigation Bureau, seemed to support Pierson's view, suggesting that production-related defects were responsible for the sensor failure that ultimately led to the crash.

However, this conclusion was disputed by the US National Transportation Safety Board, which found no evidence to support it and instead attributed the sensor failure to an impact with a foreign object, likely a bird.