A manager tried to halt Boeing 737 Max production on safety before crashes

A Boeing Co. manager sought to halt production of the 737 Max over safety concerns before the first of two fatal crashes that led to the jet’s worldwide grounding, a top House lawmaker charged Tuesday.

Representative Peter DeFazio, the chairman of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, included the new allegations in a prepared statement for a hearing Wednesday at which Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg will testify. The CEO testified Tuesday before a Senate committee about the Max, which has been banned from flying since March.

“We now know of at least one case where a Boeing manager implored the then-vice president and general manager of the 737 program to shut down the 737 Max production line because of safety concerns, several months before the Lion Air crash in October 2018,” DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat, said in his prepared opening statement, which was released by the committee.