Probe of FAA’s Oversight of Boeing 737 Began Before Second Crash

Probe of FAA’s Oversight of Boeing 737 Began Before Second Crash
Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are parked at a Boeing production facility in Renton, Wash., on March 11, 2019. David Ryder/Reuters
|Updated:

The U.S. Transportation Department began an investigation of how Boeing Co.’s 737 Max was certified to fly passengers before the latest crash in Ethiopia involving the new jet, according to a person familiar with the probe.

The investigation was prompted by information obtained after a Lion Air 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Oct. 29, said the person, who wasn’t authorized to speak about the investigation and asked not to be named.