Guest Feature from The Foundation for Aviation Safety

NTSB Chair Sparks Outrage by Refusing to Share Key Evidence with International Crash Investigators

Jennifer Homendy, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair, is facing mounting criticism for refusing to share newly uncovered evidence of manufacturing defects connected to the two deadly 737 MAX crashes with international accident investigators. The sharing of relevant and potentially significant information is a legal requirement under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 standards.

In a November 29, 2024 letter addressed to Ms. Homendy, The Foundation for Aviation Safety cited new evidence which includes official Boeing and FAA documents that were not shared with international accident investigators in the wake of the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 (JT610) and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (ET302) disasters, which claimed 347 lives¹.

The letter draws a striking comparison between the NTSB’s approach to the 737 MAX investigations and its more thorough examination of the January 2024 Alaska Airlines blowout accident. The Foundation delivered the new evidence to the NTSB in July, arguing that Boeing successfully diverted attention away from the manufacturer’s operations following the MAX crashes but was unable to do so in the aftermath of the Alaska accident. After the Alaska accident the NTSB launched a full investigation into Boeing’s manufacturing processes.

In a sharp critique, the letter points out a glaring oversight: after the two fatal crashes of the two month old JT610 airplane and the four month old ET302 airplane, international investigators failed to examine Boeing's Renton, Washington factory where the 737 MAX is assembled.