Boeing Supplier Spirit AeroSystems Sues Texas AG to Block Safety Probe

The company alleges that Mr. Paxton’s investigation has a ‘questionable law enforcement purpose’ as he scrutinizes the company over a myriad of safety concerns.
Boeing Supplier Spirit AeroSystems Sues Texas AG to Block Safety Probe
The Spirit AeroSystems logo is pictured on an unpainted 737 fuselage at Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington, on Jan. 25, 2024. Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
Jacob Burg
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Spirit Aerosystems, a Boeing supplier, filed a May 1 lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after he opened a safety probe into the company in late March.

Spirit Aerosystems is alleging that Mr. Paxton’s demand for internal documents and other information is unlawful and is raising other legal concerns in its Austin, Texas, federal court lawsuit. The state attorney general opened the investigation into the Boeing parts supplier after “reoccurring issues with certain airplane parts provided to Boeing,” which came two months after an Alaskan Airlines 737 MAX experienced a midair blowout of a door panel, forcing it to make an emergency landing.

Spirit Aerosystems filed its lawsuit against Mr. Paxton the same day that its former quality auditor, Joshua “Josh” Dean, died from a “sudden, fast-spreading infection,” according to reports. Mr. Dean came forward as a whistleblower against the Boeing manufacturer and alleged that it ignored numerous problems with the 737 MAX as early as 2012.

He is the second Boeing-related whistleblower to die after John “Mitch” Barnett was found dead from an alleged self-inflicted gunshot wound the morning of a court appearance. The same attorney was representing both men in their efforts to testify about quality-control problems persistent within Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems.

Spirit AeroSystems believes that Mr. Paxton’s requests violate the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.

The company is a critical supplier of fuselages for Boeing, including the 737 MAX. The Justice Department is considering whether the Alaskan Airlines incident breached a deferred prosecution agreement with Boeing, which was set to expire two days later. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is also stepping down by the end of the year as scrutiny increases on the company’s safety practices.

Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems, told The Epoch Times that the supplier “brought this litigation seeking a determination whether the Texas statute at issue is constitutional under existing case law within the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“Spirit AeroSystems does not intend to comment further on this pending litigation,” he added.

The Epoch Times reached out to Boeing for comment but did not receive a reply by press time.

Mr. Paxton released a statement on March 28 regarding his safety probe of the aircraft manufacturer.

“The potential risks associated with certain airplane models are deeply concerning and potentially life-threatening to Texans,” Mr. Paxton said.

“I will hold any company responsible if they fail to maintain the standards required by the law and will do everything in my power to ensure manufacturers take passenger safety seriously.”

The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Paxton’s office for comment but did not receive a reply by press time.

Spirit AeroSystems alleged that Mr. Paxton’s probe “bears no connection to events occurring in the State of Texas and as such has, at best, a questionable law enforcement purpose” since the company only possesses a single facility in Texas, which provides maintenance and repair and only contains 98 of the company’s 20,655 employees.

The supplier also said it does not “manufacture any part, in Kansas, Texas, or elsewhere, that allegedly failed in incidents involving Boeing 737 aircraft,” such as the Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5.

Chase Smith and Reuters contributed to this report.
Jacob Burg
Jacob Burg
Author
Jacob Burg reports on national politics, aerospace, and aviation for The Epoch Times. He previously covered sports, regional politics, and breaking news for the Sarasota Herald Tribune.