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A U.S. safety regulator on Thursday slapped Boeing with new sanctions and restrictions after the troubled aerospace giant “blatantly violated” the rules of their agreement.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been investigating the Jan. 5 incident when a door plug blew out mid-flight on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet. Boeing signed an agreement that gave it access to the NTSB’s information as it develops a record behind the incident. Boeing isn’t allowed to share such information publicly.
But that’s exactly what an executive did on Tuesday during a media briefing with reporters, according to the NTSB. The agency notes that “as a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing.”
On Tuesday, Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing described the NTSB’s investigation as a “search to locate the individual responsible” for the door plug’s failure, which prompted the sanctions. The agency said it is focused on discovering the probable cause of the incident, not placing blame. The NTSB’s initial investigation into what happened with the door plug blowout suggested that the workers on the plane in question appeared to have forgotten to replace four key bolts that would have held the piece in place.
“We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB’s role as the source of investigative information,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. “We apologize to the NTSB and stand ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation.”
Although Boeing will retain access to the NTSB’s investigative information, the company will be subpoenaed to appear at an investigative hearing scheduled for Aug. 6 and 7. And, unlike other parties present, Boeing will not be allowed to ask questions.
The NTSB will also be coordinating with the Department of Justice to provide details related to Tuesday’s incident as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Justice officials have until July 7 to decide whether they’ll actually charge Boeing according to their original deal struck four years ago, after two Boeing 737 Max 8 planes crashed and killed more than 300 people in part due to autopilot controls that were not properly explained. Prosecutors reportedly plan to recommend that Boeing face criminal charges.
-Melvin Backman contributed to this story.