By WSJ City 

Federal investigators and lawmakers are asking the same question about Boeing's 737 MAX jet: Did US safety regulators rigorously follow longstanding engineering and design standards in approving a suspect stall-prevention feature?

KEY FACTS

   -- The Justice Department and the Transportation Department inspector 
      general's office are looking into how Boeing developed the aircraft. 
 
   -- It's been involved in two fatal crashes within five months. 
 
   -- The inspector general's office is also scrutinising whether the Federal 
      Aviation Administration took any shortcuts compromising safety, people 
      familiar with the matter said. 
 
   -- Boeing was eager to complete the design and certification process as 
      quickly as possible, according to people who were involved. 
 
   -- Boeing has said the FAA certified the 737 MAX according to identical 
      requirements and processes for previous airplanes after a six-year, 
      methodical development. 

FOCUS OF THE TRANSPORT INQUIRY

The US Transportation Department inquiry has included questions about the aircraft's design, how training was devised and whether safety was compromised in favour of business concerns, a person familiar with the details said.

WHAT THEY SAID

   -- The FAA said the plane was approved to carry passengers as part of the 
      agency's "standard certification process," which the agency said is "well 
      established and (has) consistently produced safe aircraft." 
 
   -- The agency declined to comment on various decisions regarding specific 
      systems. 
 
   -- The Justice Department and the Transportation Department's inspector 
      general declined to comment. 
 
   -- A Boeing spokesman declined to comment about government inquiries. 

A fuller story is available on WSJ.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 19, 2019 05:17 ET (09:17 GMT)

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