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Boeing (NYSE:BA) has hit another obstacle in the ongoing investigation of the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 door plug blow-out, with the NTSB sanctioning the airplane maker for statements made at a recent media briefing.
The NTSB statement – reported by multiple media outlets – hit back at Boeing (BA) for releasing non-public details of its ongoing investigation at a briefing on Tuesday. It said the company violated investigative regulations and a signed party agreement with the authority.
The regulator says a Boeing (BA) executive shared details of the investigation and an “analysis of factual information”. Both actions are prohibited under the party agreement signed when the probe began, and NTSB said, “As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing.”
The NTSB has decided to restrict Boeing’s access to investigative information produced over the course of its probe, due to the aerospace company’s actions. It will also subpoena Boeing (BA) for a hearing in early August and “Unlike the other parties in the hearing, Boeing will not be allowed to ask questions of other participants.”
More importantly, the NTSB will also refer the breaches made by Boeing (BA) to the justice department. The DOJ has to decide whether to prosecute the company by July 7, but reports have suggested there is pressure to bring criminal charges even as the two sides are negotiating a potential resolution. Boeing (BA) has not yet responded to the latest NTSB action.
